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Circumpolar Bodies and Their Transits

A body is considered circumpolar if it is always above the rational horizon and does not set. For a body to be circumpolar, the latitude must be greater than or equal to the declination. The upper and lower transits of circumpolar bodies occur above and below the elevated pole, respectively. If the upper and lower transit altitudes of a circumpolar body are observed, the observer's latitude and body's declination can be calculated based on properties of the declination circle.

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Giorgi Kandelaki
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411 views5 pages

Circumpolar Bodies and Their Transits

A body is considered circumpolar if it is always above the rational horizon and does not set. For a body to be circumpolar, the latitude must be greater than or equal to the declination. The upper and lower transits of circumpolar bodies occur above and below the elevated pole, respectively. If the upper and lower transit altitudes of a circumpolar body are observed, the observer's latitude and body's declination can be calculated based on properties of the declination circle.

Uploaded by

Giorgi Kandelaki
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  • Circumpolar Bodies
  • Transit of Circumpolar Bodies
  • Altitude and Latitude Calculations

Circumpolar bodies

For a body to be circumpolar, the body should always be above the rational horizon i.e
the body should not set. Therefore, a circumpolar body will have upper transit (upper
meridian passage) which is above the elevated pole and lower transit (lower meridian
passage) which is below the elevated pole.

Condition required for a body to be circumpolar:

 Lat + Dec > 90° (For the body not to set)

 Latitude and declination should be the same name.

1. North Latitude – Lat < Dec


2. North Latitude – Lat > Dec

3. South Latitude – Lat < Dec

4. South Latitude – Lat > Dec


Upper and Lower transit of circumpolar bodies

Upper transit (NX) or (SX) of a circumpolar body is above the elevated pole.

For North latitudes,

Upper transit (NX) bearing is North, when lat < dec

= Altitude of pole + Polar distance (NP + PX)

= Latitude + Polar distance (Lat + PX)

= Declination circle + lower transit (XX’ + NX’)

= 90° – Zenith Distance (ZX)

Upper transit (SX) bearing is South, when lat > dec

= 180° – (Altitude of pole + Polar distance)

= 180° – (NP + PX) = 180° – (Latitude + Polar distance)

= 180° – (Lat + PX) = 180° – (Declination circle + lower transit)

= 180° – (XX’ + NX’)

For South latitudes,

Upper transit (SX) bearing is South, when lat < dec

= Altitude of pole + Polar distance (SP + PX)

= Latitude + Polar distance (Lat + PX)

= Declination circle + lower transit (XX’ + SX’)

= 90° – Zenith Distance (ZX)

Upper transit (NX) bearing is North, when lat > dec

= 180° – (Altitude of pole + Polar distance) = 180° – (SP + PX)


= 180° – (Latitude + Polar distance)= 180° – (Lat + PX)

= 180° – (Declination circle + lower transit) = 180° – (XX’ + SX’)

Lower transit (NX’ or SX’) is below the elevated pole.

For The North latitudes,

Lower transit (NX’) bearing is North, same as the elevated pole or latitude or
declination. 

= Altitude of pole – Polar distance (NP – PX’)

= Latitude – Polar distance (Lat – PX’)

= 90° – (PX’ + PZ)

For The South latitudes,

Lower transit (SX’) bearing is South, same as the elevated pole or latitude or
declination.

= Altitude of pole – Polar distance (SP – PX’)

= Latitude – Polar distance (Lat – PX’)

= 90° – (PX’ + PZ)

If the altitudes of a circumpolar body at upper and lower meridian


passage are observed,

– then the observer’s latitude and

– body’s declination can be calculated.

 Draw the rational horizon, place the body at the upper transit (X) and lower
transit (X’)

 Place elevated pole midway between the 2 positions and draw declination circle,
with the pole as the centre and the circle passing through X and X’.
 Draw equinoctial, WQE, where PQ is 90°

 Diameter of declination circle (XX’) = Upper altitude (NX) – lower altitude (NX’)


(when Lower & Upper mer pass, brg is same)or 

= 180° – (Upper altitude (SX) + lower altitude (NX’)) (when Lower & Upper mer


pass, brgs are opposite)

 The diameter, divided by 2 gives the polar distance PX and PX’.

(PX or PX’) = XX’ / 2

 Polar distance (PX) = altitude of the pole (NP) – lower meridian altitude (NX’)

 Polar distance (PX) = 90° – Declination

 90° – polar distance (PX) = Declination, named same as elevated pole.

 Polar distance(PX) + lower meridian altitude (NX’)

= Altitude of the pole (NP)

= Latitude of an observer, named same as the elevated pole.

Circumpolar bodies For a body to be circumpolar, the body should always be above the rational horizon i.e the body should not
2. North Latitude – Lat > Dec 3. South Latitude – Lat < Dec 4. South Latitude – Lat > Dec
Upper and Lower transit of circumpolar bodies Upper transit (NX) or (SX) of a circumpolar body is above the elevated pole. Fo
= 180° – (Latitude + Polar distance)= 180° – (Lat + PX) = 180° – (Declination circle + lower transit) = 180° – (XX’ + SX’) Lo
 Draw equinoctial, WQE, where PQ is 90°  Diameter of declination circle (XX’) = Upper altitude (NX) – lower altitude (NX’)

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