What is a system of navigation in which a navigator observes celestial bodies to measure latitude?

Answer 1

"Celestial navigation". We measure the altitude of the Sun, Moon, planets, or the 58 "navigational stars" above the horizon. Then we calculate where on Earth is the only place that you would see those celestial objects at those altitudes.

"Why 58 navigational stars?", I hear you asking. There are 57 fairly bright stars distributed pretty much evenly around the sky. Then the star Polaris, which isn't very bright but which happens to be almost directly above the North Pole.... These are the stars normally used in cel nav.

The nice thing about celestial nav is that it doesn't require any power, doesn't need a computer; it can be done manually with a pencil, as long as you have an accurate, watch, the three volumes of "sight reduction tables" and a copy of the Nautical Almanac.

If you specifically need to measure your latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, an observation of the star Polaris will get you within a half-degree. If you also have the watch, there's a simple correction that can be applied to get your latitude to the nearest few minutes of arc..

Answer 2

Celestial navigation is a system in which a navigator uses the position of celestial bodies like stars, planets, and the Sun to determine the ship's latitude on the Earth. This method has been used for centuries by sailors to navigate the open seas.

Answer 3

Celestial navigation