Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the practice of position fixing using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a navigator to accurately determine their actual current … See more

An example illustrating the concept behind the intercept method for determining position is shown to the right. (Two other common methods for determining one's position using celestial … See more

Accurate angle measurement has evolved over the years. One simple method is to hold the hand above the horizon with one's arm stretched out. The angular width of the little finger is just over 1.5 degrees at extended arm's length and can be used to estimate the … See more

Practical celestial navigation usually requires a marine chronometer to measure time, a sextant to measure the angles, an almanac giving schedules of the coordinates of celestial objects, a set of sight reduction tables to help perform the height and See more

The celestial line of position concept was discovered in 1837 by Thomas Hubbard Sumner when, after one observation, he computed and plotted his longitude at more than one trial latitude in his vicinity and noticed that the positions lay along a line. Using this … See more

Celestial navigation training equipment for aircraft crews combine a simple flight simulator with a planetarium.
An early example is the Link Celestial Navigation Trainer, used in the Second World War. Housed in a 45-foot (14 m) high building, it … See more

• Air navigation
• Aircraft periscope
• Astrodome (aeronautics)
• Astronautics See more