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    Celestial Navigation, what to teach and to who?
    From: Doug MacPherson
    Date: 2013 Jun 11, 19:58 -0700

    All:

    I have been reading the recent posts on what sample problems to give to the Coast Guard Cadets and how we create interest in Celestial Navigation (CN) in the general public (courses on this list?) with enthusiasm.

    In today's world of I-phones, GPS devices, multiple redundancies, etc. is Celestial Navigation relevant?

    As background, I was taught the altitude intercept method at Newport R.I. in the early 80's with the US. Navy. We young ensigns could learn enough to pass the tests and move on to our ships, but whether we could have used the skills if needed is another story. Indeed, most of the Quartermasters on board could find the position of the ship with CN, if need arose, but were reluctant to pull out the sextants and practice, never mind satisfy the Ensign's enthusiasm. I am afraid that most of my current skill was developed on my own reading old copies of Bowditch and Norie, and pulling out my used Astra IIIb.

    I currently volunteer at a local Hight School and teach students CN as a way of fulfilling their "Senior Project" requirement to graduate.

    The question arises....what level of CN is appropriate for any give audience? A question I have needed to address with my HighSchoolers.

    As readers of this list know, CN comes in various levels of difficulty. I list some skills below in increasing levels of technical demand (assume use of some form of sextant and accurate time device for 4 and on). Certainly not meant to be all inclusive and you could quibble about the relative difficulty of each:

    1. Finding true north with the Pole Star.
    2. Finding true South or North using the second hand of a non digital watch.
    3. Finding the local time with a sundial.
    4. Finding latitude with Polaris (northern hemisphere)
    5. Finding latitude with the sun at noon.
    6. Finding longitude at noon with the sun at noon and an accurate watch.
    7. Finding a line(s) of position with a celestial body using the altitude intercept method and an electronic calculator.
    8.Finding a line(s) of position with a celestial body using the altitude intercept method and tables such as pub 229 or 249.
    9.Finding a line(s) of position with a celestial body using the altitude intercept method and log and haversine tables.
    10. Determining compass error at sea.
    11. Finding latitude with ex-meridian tables.
    12. Finding longitude with the time sight methodology.
    13. Finding longitude (time) using a lunar distance and a calculator or online tool.
    14. Finding longitude (time) using a lunar distance and a set of tables (Bruce Stark's for example).


    So......on the continuum above, where does the Coast Guard/USN Ensign fall? The High Schooler?
    The small boat sailing enthusiast? Others?

    I currently use John Karl's pamphlet "Latitude & Longitude from the noon Sun" to teach my high schoolers with the use of a cardboard sextant. Why? for about $30 they get everything they need to be able to compute latitude and longitude using the sun at noon. Learn most of the jargon, and could probably figure out how to do it again 6 months later (a key consideration).

    In my mind, in the unlikely event of a major electronic catastrophe at sea (no GPS, calculators etc.) a similar knowledge set for the officers on board a ship would be enough. The key being their ability to be able to get accurate results. Perhaps the full altitude intercept methodologies are too much?

    Your thoughts?

    Doug

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