Celestial Navigation

[dacust]

Celestial Navigation in a Teacup - Rodger E. Farley

==> Celestial Navigation


Free download of the book and free download of some optional companion software.

For some reason I seem to remember hearing about this from the author himself on this forum. But I can't remember his user name.

-dan

[samsiam]

Originally Posted by thomm225

This is a free star chart that you can download. I use on the boat a lot since I'm usually far away from the city light pollution to locate various stars, planets, and constellations..

It is really good and even includes man made satellite orbits.

Just click on your Operating System (OS) to download

Stellarium

Know any star charts/maps you can download that do not need an internet connection to work, something that will give a map that you can just bring out and look up with and compare in the middle of nowhere?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by samsiam

Know any star charts/maps you can download that do not need an internet connection to work, something that will give a map that you can just bring out and look up with and compare in the middle of nowhere?

Yes, the one above (Stellarium) will do that. Once you have it loaded on your laptop you are set. You just have to click on the world map your coordinates or put them in for location.

I used to bring my laptop along for that very reason even before I got the 4G Verizon Jetpack ............

[samsiam]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Yes, the one above (Stellarium) will do that. Once you have it loaded on your laptop you are set. You just have to click on the world map your coordinates or put them in for location.

I used to bring my laptop along for that very reason even before I got the 4G Verizon Jetpack ............

But don't you need the internet for it to work at wherever location you happen to be...like middle of the Pacific ?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by samsiam

But don't you need the internet for it to work at wherever location you happen to be...like middle of the Pacific ?

Nope, just type in the coordinates from your GPS. I used to do this before I had internet capability on my boat using my laptop where I had the stellarium software downloaded to.

You can test it where you are now ...........

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by dacust

Celestial Navigation in a Teacup - Rodger E. Farley

==> Celestial Navigation


Free download of the book and free download of some optional companion software.

For some reason I seem to remember hearing about this from the author himself on this forum. But I can't remember his user name.

-dan

+1 on Teacup Celestial.
The author's user name was/is Dragonflyer
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post566646

[samsiam]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Nope, just type in the coordinates from your GPS. I used to do this before I had internet capability on my boat using my laptop where I had the stellarium software downloaded to.

You can test it where you are now ...........

Excellent then, thanks and hopefully it is just what we were looking for.

[kefroeschner]

An article in the recent Ocean Navigator reported that the Coast Guard Academy will continue to teach Celestial Navigation, by sextant, etc. whereas the US Naval Academy will not, relying totally on GPS. Each had their reasons, well expounded. To me the best thing about celestial and sextant is the complete picture of where you are on the earth and in the sky that develops after a bit of doing it. Eventually, just as you do not need a map to know where you are in your neighborhood or harbour, you do not need a star finder to know where you are and which way is what. The polynesians did it that way centuries ago, as did the egyptians, chinese, etc. The precision of the sextant and the reduction tables merely makes more precise the knowledge of your location gained by just looking up and knowing the sky and how it works. Practicing celestial sights is a very good way to gain this intrinsic understanding of the universe and where we are at any given moment within it. Staring at a GPS screen does not. I think the Coast Guard has it right and I plan to steer well clear of the US Navy when 'the fit hits the shan'.

[gjordan]

I am probably repeating what has been said before, but to really appreciate celestial, you should read the book by Dr David Lewis, called WE THE NAVIGATORS. fascinating book and so much knowledge! _____Grant.

[jkindredpdx]

Thanks to all who offered up links and references. I love to learn new and old things... the Celestial Navigation bug bit me again recently while listening to the Libre Vox "Cruise of the Snark" during my commutes.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

Thanks to all who offered up links and references. I love to learn new and old things... the Celestial Navigation bug bit me again recently while listening to the Libre Vox "Cruise of the Snark" during my commutes.

A very good book that covers some alternative methods and advanced topics is
Self-contained celestial navigation with H.O. 208: John S Letcher

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by dacust

Celestial Navigation in a Teacup - Rodger E. Farley

==> Celestial Navigation


Free download of the book and free download of some optional companion software.

For some reason I seem to remember hearing about this from the author himself on this forum. But I can't remember his user name.

-dan

This is the one I use.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

This is the one I use.

And what kind of Sextant does a guy get? Best value w/o excessive frustration?

[dacust]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

And what kind of Sextant does a guy get? Best value w/o excessive frustration?

The cheapest thing I know of that will actually work as a sextant is this Davis Mark 3:
Mark 3 Sextant by Davis
List price $60

Next up, are the other plastic sextants by the same company, ranging from list of $230-$300 (street about $175-225, respectively.)
Mark 15 Sextant by Davis
Mark 25 Sextant by Davis

My idea of the best value for the money in a new sextant is the Astra IIIB, which is the one I have. I got mine through Celestaire. It is about $660 there.
Astra IIIB | Marine Sextants | Celestaire, Inc.

As for the Davis sextants, don't let the fact that they are plastic fool you. They are serious instruments. I have never had one, but enough people in here that I respect have praised them to convince me.

You could always get the cheaper Davis to learn on and decide on a better one later.

-dan

[Celestialsailor]

Most people starting out with a Davis 15 which is a split mirror or a 25 with a convergence mirror. If you become a sextant buff, you can buy a metal sextant. I have a C.Plath Navigator Classic of which only 1602 were made.