🔍 Key Concepts

• Star selection for evening/morning fix – good separation in azimuth (ideally 60°–120° apart) and not clustered near the same bearing • Altitude limits – bodies near 90° (overhead) or very low on the horizon are poor choices; mid‑altitudes are preferred • Brightness and identification – very bright planets versus moderately bright stars and how easy they are to identify and track

💭 Think About

• From a position near 24°S, 124°W in early February, which bodies are likely to be at comfortable altitudes (not very high or very low) around star time? • Looking at each group, which set of three gives you the widest spread in azimuth (different compass directions) instead of being bunched together? • Consider recognizability: which set has objects that are reasonably bright and well separated in the sky so they’re easy to identify without confusion?

✅ Before You Answer

• Check approximate declinations of each body; those with declinations very close to your latitude can pass nearly overhead and be less useful • Check for azimuth separation – avoid groups where two or more bodies would line up in roughly the same direction from your DR position • Verify that at least two bodies are stars (not all planets), and that the overall group would give a well‑shaped triangle for a three‑line fix