Noon
Raising his sextant , Captain Nemo took the altitude of the sun , which would give him his latitude . He waited for a few minutes until the orb touched the rim of the horizon . While he was taking his sights , he did n't move a muscle , and the instrument could n't have been steadier in hands made out of marble . `` Noon , '' he said . `` Professor , whenever you 're ready ... '' I took one last look at the sea , a little yellowish near the landing places of Japan , and I went below again to the main lounge . There the captain fixed his position and used a chronometer to calculate his longitude , which he double-checked against his previous observations of hour angles . Then he told me : `` Professor Aronnax , we 're in longitude 137 degrees 15 ' west -- '' `` West of which meridian ? ''