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Which inaccuracy resulted when using a sextant under heavy pitching and rolling conditions on an 18th-century ship?

A)Systematic overestimation of celestial body altitude
B)Random errors in angular measurement readings
C)Consistent parallax error due to ship's height
D)Underestimation due to atmospheric refraction changes

💡 Explanation

When a ship pitches/rolls significantly, random errors occur because accurately maintaining the sextant's alignment with the horizon is very difficult under dynamic, unstable conditions, affecting the angular readings. Therefore, random errors result rather than systematic, parallax, or refraction errors which require consistently biased mechanical or atmospheric conditions.

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