Celestial Navigation: The Minimal Manual

Enjoy learning the art of celestial navigation without delving too deep into esoteric topics. A gentle introduction for beginners, but with valuable insights for more seasoned practitioners. Although titled minimal, the book is thorough covering everything needed to plot a position using celestial navigation. Includes 3D color visual aids and step-by-step explanations of each type of sight reduction using the commonly-used nautical almanac and Pub. HO 249 sight reduction tables. Can also be used as a quick reference with concise, color-coded instructions. This is the book used in John Kretschmer's celestial navigation course.

Covers:

• Greenwich hour angle, declination, local hour angle, altitude, zenith distance and azimuth
• Intercept Method and assumed position
• Geographical position, circles of equal altitude, lines of position, a-value
• How to use a Nautical Almanac and Sight Reduction Tables
• Angle and time math instruction
• Celestial and navigational coordinate systems
• Sextants and how to time a sight
• Detailed, step-by-step instructions for deriving sight reductions
• Estimating latitude and longitude with Noon sights
• Examples of sight reductions of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars
• How to plot lines of position, fixes and running fixes
• Includes easy-to-use sight reduction forms designed for novices
• Forms for noon sight, sight reduction, sight planning, and meridian passage of the Sun
• Instructions for using the Weems and Plath Star Finder 2102-d