NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2014 Jun 14, 17:17 -0700
Gary LaPook wrote:
One thing you can use a calculator for is computing the GHA of Aries. All you need to write down, or, memorize, is three numbers. First, the rate that Aries advances each day which is 59.139 minutes each day. Second, the rate of advance each hour which is 15.041 degrees per hour. The third number you need is the GHA of Aries at 0000Z on the 31st of December from the prior year which is, for right now, 99° 33.4'. Knowing these three numbers makes it easy to calculate the GHA of Aries for any time during the year.
But alas, memories fade... These suggestions for memorization of a small set of key quantities might be replaced by something more permanent and always available. How about a little modern body art? Who among you will step up to the plate and get those key parameters of your almanac and sight reduction data inked into your skin? What is the smallest survival celestial tatoo you could draw?!
-FER
