Mini-Course: Celestial Navigation In a Nutshell

This self-study seminar can be completed in one evening of afternoon.  It is an excellent overview on using the sun and night-time celestial bodies.  This session will be a springbord for those wanting to earn the Offshore Marine Navigation Level 1 and 2 certifications from CanBoat.

Table of Contents

 

  •  Lines of Positions and Fixes
  • Celestial Fixes
  • Celestial Navigation Basics
  • Obtaining a Fix From Terrestial Charted Objects
  • Polaris – the North Star
  • Polaris – the Pole Star
  • Meridian Transit and the Noon Sight
  • The Celestial Navigation Process
  • Celestial Objects Used for Navigation
  • An Example of a Star Chart
  • Some Celestial Navigation Terminlogy
  • Geographic Position (GP) and Circle of Position (COP).  The Heart of Celestial Navigation
  • Circle of Position
  • Explaining Altitude
  • Parallels of Latitude
  • Altitude and Latitude
  • Altitude and Circle of Position
  • Calculate the Radius of a Circle of Position
  • An Example COP Calculation Using the Sun
  • Defining Terms
  • Terrestrial Coordinates
  • How to Locate a GP using the Nautical Almanac
  • Latitude By Meridian Transit or Noon SIght
  • Computing Latitude from Noon Sight
  • Computing Latitude and Longitude at Noon Sight
  • How early Navigators Measured Latitude
  • Davis Backstaff
  • How Early Sailors Measured Speed
  • The Sextant
  • Bringing the Celestial Body Doen to the Horizon
  • Sextant Scale
  • Taking Sights
  • Applying Corrections
  • How We Use This Information
  • Plotting a Celestial LOP Using the Altitude Intercept Model
  • Taking An Altitude Measurement
  • Remember the Explaining Altitude Slide
  • Altitude-intercept Method – Compare Hc With Ho
  • intercept
  • Line of Position (LOP)
  • Calculate the Hc Azimuth and Intercept
  • Terrestrial Coordinates
  • Celestial Coordinates Review
  • Celestial Coordinates Review II
  • Intercept Review
  • Methodology
  • Solving the Navigational Triangle Using the Intercept Method
  • Resultant I
  • That Brings Us Back to This
  • Plotting the Celestail LOP
  • Celestial Running Fix
  • Movements of the Sun, Planet, and Stars
  • First Point of Aries
  • GP of Stars is the Same As the Sun – Just Add SHA
  • Reducing the Sight Using the Nautical Almanac
  • Calculations For Hc, Azimuth and Intercept
  • Celestial Plot
  • Are You Seeing Stars Yet?
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