How to Learn Celestial Navigation

The basic premise behind celestial navigation is to be able to find your unknown location through known positions of other objects, in this case, celestial bodies. Ancient navigators, such as the Polynesians, relied heavily on the stars to navigate throughout the South Pacific Ocean. Today, using the stars is a fun way of learning your region and breaking the ties to electronic devices so heavily relied upon today. When first learning the basics of celestial navigation use the "navigational triangle."

Things You'll Need

  • Nautical almanac
  • Star charts
  • Blank paper and pencil
  • Flat-edge/plotter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a known celestial object in the night sky (a good starting point is the North Star, found at the handle of the Little Dipper). Keep this object in your field of view and use it as the fixed point for your navigational triangle.

    • 2

      Estimate the angle between you and the fixed celestial object. This is called the Line of Position (LOP) in relation to the star.You now need to use dead reckoning to arrive at your estimated location. Go from your last known position and heading (north, south, east or west) and notice the location of the fixed celestial object in relation to the LOP.

    • 3

      Calculate the estimated North between the LOP and your adjusted dead reckoning position. Draw out the three locations on a blank piece of paper to form a navigational triangle. As you move through the course, keep the three fixed locations (LOP, dead reckoning estimate and the calibrated north) in the same positions, adjusting the course as needed.

    • 4

      Use Steps 1 to 3 as a beginning point of the education on celestial navigation. Practice this daily and enroll in a basic navigation course through sailing academies or outdoor survival schools. Acquire a star chart for your hemisphere (star charts show the stars in relation to the night sky, your latitude and the time of year). Use the chart to cross reference your calculations and see how off or accurate you are as your skills develop.