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SLA_PAV - Position-Angle Between Two Directions   

ACTION:
Returns the bearing (position angle) of one celestial direction with respect to another (single precision).

CALL:
R = sla_PAV (V1, V2)

GIVEN:

V1 R(3) direction cosines of one point
V2 R(3) directions cosines of the other point

RETURNED:

sla_PAV R position-angle of 2nd point with respect to 1st

NOTES:
1.
The coordinate frames correspond to $[\,\alpha,\delta\,]$,$[\lambda,\phi]$ etc..
2.
The result is the bearing (position angle), in radians, of point V2 as seen from point V1. It is in the range $\pm \pi$. The sense is such that if V2 is a small distance due east of V1 the result is about $+\pi/2$. Zero is returned if the two points are coincident.
3.
The routine sla_BEAR performs an equivalent function except that the points are specified in the form of spherical coordinates.


next up previous
Next: SLA_PCD - Apply Radial Distortion
Up: SUBPROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS
Previous: SLA_PA - to Parallactic Angle

SLALIB --- Positional Astronomy Library
Starlink User Note 67
P. T. Wallace
12 October 1999
E-mail:ptw@star.rl.ac.uk