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← HistoryWhich maritime positioning error grew significantly despite the chronometer's enhanced accuracy?
A)Variation in magnetic compass readings✓
B)Error due to celestial refraction
C)Ship's leeway relative to wind
D)Calibration drift within ship's sextants
💡 Explanation
Magnetic variation error became prominent because knowing longitude precisely using chronometers allowed navigators to pinpoint location, highlighting discrepancies between true and magnetic North utilizing COMPASS SWING. Therefore, magnetic compass errors mattered more, rather than errors previously masked by imprecise longitude estimation.
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