Celestial Navigation 101

This video is of an introductory celestial navigation class I taught at my local sailing center. It covers the history and underlying principles but does not dig too deep into the details. It was recorded on a couple of cellphones, so audio and video quality is not ideal, but I thought it worth uploading for those who could not attend (it was a sold out class)... and as a primer for anyone taking the hands-on class I teach in the spring. Here are links and other information related to the class: Some general wayfinding and navigation info: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringour... Polynesian Wayfinding: https://hokulea.com/polynesian-wayfin... https://theconversation.com/how-far-t... Mayan Celestial Navigation: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journa... Viking Navigation: https://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/... https://royalsocietypublishing.org/do... The American Practical Navigator: https://msi.nga.mil/Publications/APN A free nautical almanac: https://www.thenauticalalmanac.com/ Some useful navigation apps for your phone: App: Sextant Stars From: Sharpitor Elements A digital equivalent of a Rude Star Idenitifier (sometimes called a 'Rudy'). Helpful for figuring out which stars you are looking at. App: Stellarium From: Stellarium Labs L.R.C. Another app useful for identifying what you see in the night sky. You can change the location and time to see the sky as it would be under those circumstances. App: Nautical Almanac From: Capt. Skrypkin M. Automatic Nautical Almanac lookup and calculation for the sun, moon, planets, and all navigation stars. App: Sight Reduction From: Navigation Algorithms Automates the calculation of azimuth and intercept calculations and draws the resulting lines of position on a map.