NAME: Benedicto L.

Cardinez

Course/ Yr: BSMT I / 2021 - 2022

Date submitted: FEB. 07, 2022

Course/Subject: BSMT / NAV 4 – CELESTIAL

NAVIGATION.

STCW Table A-II/1

Specification of minimum standard of competence

for officers in charge of a navigational watch on ships

of 500 gross tonnage or more

STCW Table A-II/1

Function:

Navigation at the operational level

I - INTRODUCTION:

NAV. 4 – CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Competence: A-II/1 F1.C1

Plan and conduct a passage and Determine Position

KUP: A-II/1 F1.C1 KUP6.2

Ability to use celestial bodies to determine position

Course Outcome:

CO1: Plot ship’s position using observation of three stars during

twilight.

CO2: Determine compass error by observation of sun’s amplitude.

Assessment

Written Exams (quizzes, essay,

prelim, midterm, final, etc.)

Oral Exam

Recitation

Interaction
Reaction paper

Seatwork

ETC

II – Instruction/Requirements:

Every session and discussion, ensure that all of the participants must

listen carefully and have the following materials and equipments

with them for immediate use.

Laptop or Desk top computer, Cell phone, Calculator, Notes, Pencil,

Triangle ruler, compass divider, etc.

If there’s any questions, verification, clarification and doubt

concerning to our topic or discussions, you can call or text on my CP

# 09393306996 or just PM and chat me to my email account

Benedicto Cardinez @ yahoo.com. Please follow instructions. Feel

free to ask me via text and messenger or in our section Group Chat

for clarification on directions.

Please be guided of the following reminders:

1.The subject entails a lot of computations, symbols, numbers,

illustrations and observations. Patience is a virtue. So be

patient

and you can learn more specially about celestial

navigation!

2.Please read and analyze every topics and those various

solving problems and

formulas carefully so that you can

understand easily.

3. You can consult google, tutorial videos and other books or

helpful

materials for clearer understanding concerning to the

subject.

4. Do the different activities required. Do not leave any activity

undone.

5. Answer questions with all honesty. Success does not come

from

copying

from others. It is made possible by trying hard on

your own, so that you can

learn even from your mistakes.

6. Review your answers. It is safe to go back and think about

what

you

have written. This can help you lessen if not avoid errors.

7. Do not delay in doing and submitting your requirements.

This

can help

you avoid having a pile of unfinished activities.

8. Have fun as you learn. In the following slides we will discuses our first topic

or lesson, which is the CELESTIAL BODIES.

NOTE: EVERY TOPICS WILL BE POSTED ACCORDINGLY. ONE TOPIC AT THE

TIME OR AS PER WEEKLY BASIS. EVERY END OF THE TOPICS, YOU WILL HAVE

AN ACTIVITIES SERVE AS A REVIEW OR RECALL FROM THE LESSONS WE HAVE

HAD DISCUSSED. OUR FIRST TOPIC TO BE DISCUSE WILL BE “CELESTIAL

BODY”…

Module No. 01: PRELIM

Topic 1 – Celestial body

Topic 2 – Ship’s Position

Topic 3 – Navigational Condition

Topic 4 – Parts of the Marine Sextant

Module No. 02: MIDTERM

Topic 1 – Correct Usage of Marine Sextant

Topic 2 – Sight Reduction

Topic 3 – Plotting

Topic 4 – Navigational Astronomy

MODULES/SUBJECT COVERAGE

Module No. 03: FINAL

Topic 1 – Celestial Navigation

Topic 2 – Application of Time in Celestial Nav.

Topic 3 – Use of Relevant Nautical Publications

Topic 4 – Compass Errors by Celestial Bodies

TIME FRAME:

PRELIM

Topic 1 – Celestial body = 6hrs

Topic 2 – Ship’s position = 5hrs

Topic 3 – Navigational condition = 5hrs

Topic 4 – Parts of the marine sextant = 5hrs

TIME FRAME:

MIDTERM

Topic 1 – Correct usage of marine sextant = 5hrs

Topic 2 – Sight reduction = 5hrs

Topic 3 – Plotting = 5hrs

Topic 4 – Navigational astronomy = 5hrs

FINAL

Topic 1 – CELESTIAL NAVIGATION = 5hrs

Topic 2 – Application of time in celestial navigation = 5hrs

Topic 3 – Use of relevant nautical publications = 5hrs

Topic 4 – Compass errors by celestial bodies = 5hrs

Course Title: NAV 4 – CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Topic: CELESTIAL BODY

ILO’s: At the end of the lesson, the students should be

able

to:

Explain and state the different celestial bodies used in

navigation.

Explain Celestial bodies used in navigation using the relevant

information, charts and other publications.

Illustrate their astronomical symbol in relation to navigation

Write a brief description of each of the celestial body.

INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE

LO1.1: Discuss

the uses of the

different celestial

bodies used in

navigation using

the relevant

information,

charts and other

publications.

Topic 1

Celestial

Body

Video presentation of the

different celestial bodies

used in navigation

Interactive discussion on the

Celestial bodies used in

navigation using the

relevant information, charts

and other publications.

Activity No.1:

Enumerate the different

celestial bodies used in

navigation then illustrate

their astronomical symbol in

relation to navigation

Write a brief description of

each of the celestial body.

Multimedia

presentations

Handouts

Magnetic

Compass

Drawing
instruments

Concept

images,

illustrations,

diagrams

including

drawings

Workshop,

worksheets,

or activity

sheets

Nautical

Almanac

Written

Assessment No.1

Multiple Choice

type of test.

Performance

Assessment No.1
Presentation of

Output of the

different

celestial bodies

used in

navigation then

illustrate their

astronomical

symbol in

relation to

navigation

6 HRS.

Learning

Outcome/s

Topic/s

Teaching

& Learning Activities

References and
Equipment

Assessment

Tasks

Indicative

Hours

NAV. 4 CELESTIAL

NAVIGATION

Topic 1: Celestial Body

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARXW8InStY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5R5mrrGB0

Video presentation of the different celestial bodies used

in navigation

PART 1

PART 2

Video presentation of the different celestial bodies used

in navigation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeaFHgsDs1I

Different celestial bodies used in navigation

What are the celestial bodies used in navigation?

For sailors, celestial navigation is a step up from dead reckoning.

This technique uses the stars, moon, sun, and horizon to

calculate position. It is very useful on the open ocean, where there

are no landmarks.

What chart is used in celestial navigation?

In principle, the line could be drawn on a very large sphere, but, in

practice, a Mercator chart, or plotting sheet, is used.

What are the three most important criteria in the selection of the celestial

bodies to be used in navigation?

The general strategy in celestial navigation is to (1) choose a set of reasonable

celestial bodies for measurement, based on visibility, azimuth, and altitude, (2)

measure observed altitudes of that set of celestial bodies at known times,

(3) correct altitude measurements for effects such as refraction, height of

eye,

What instrument in the vessel is used to obtain the bearing of the celestial

bodies?

Compasses. Bearing compass used to determine magnetic bearings of

landmarks, other ships or celestial bodies.

Celestial Navigation is navigation by observation of the positions of

celestial bodies, inclusive of the sun, moon, planets and certain stars.

What is celestial navigation used for?

Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the

ancient and continuing modern practice of position fixing

using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a

navigator to accurately determine their actual current

physical position in space (or on the surface of the earth)

without having to rely solely on ...

Terminology

As is the case with many disciplines, there is a specific set of terms and definitions that

are associated with Celestial Navigation. Some of those terms are as follows:
Air Almanac - A book which provides astronomical data for air navigation. It contains

day by day, hour by hour, data for a specific year, together with auxiliary tables and

graphs, and a brief explanation of the use of the volume. Data is presented for the Sun,

Moon, Aries, planets, and stars.

Altitude - The altitude of a celestial body is its angular distance above the horizon. By

comparing the measured Altitude to the Calculated Altitude for your Estimated

Position, a Position Line may be drawn on the map or chart.

Assumed Position - The Assumed Position is the geographical position in (assumed)

Latitude and (assumed) Longitude chosen to facilitate sight reduction

Azimuth - The Azimuth of a celestial body is the bearing of the body from your

position, as measured clockwise from true North.

Calculated Altitude - The Altitude of a celestial body as calculated from the Estimated

Position using Sight Reduction Tables.

Celestial Equator - The primary great circle of the Celestial Sphere formed by the

intersection of the Celestial Sphere and the extended plane of the earth's equator.

Declination - The angular distance north or south of the celestial equator; the arc of an

hour circle between the celestial equator and a point on the Celestial Sphere, measured

northward or southward from the celestial equator through 90°, and labelled N or S to

indicate the direction of measurement.

Ecliptic Plane - The circular path on the celestial sphere that the Sun appears to follow

over the course of a year.

Estimated Position - The Estimated Position is the geographical position in

(estimated) Latitude and (estimated) Longitude obtained from Dead Reckoning or

other piloting techniques indicating the most probable position of the observer.

First Point of Aries - The location of the Vernal Equinox, that is the point where the

sun crosses the equator from South to North. It is one of two places on the celestial

sphere where the Celestial Equator and the Ecliptic Plane meet.

Fixed Position - The actual position of the observer as determined from the point

where two or more Lines of Position cross.

Geographical Position - The Geographical Position of a celestial body it the point on

the earth's surface at which the body is directly overhead. This position will normally

be expressed in terms of the Greenwich Hour Angle and the Declination of the

celestial body.

Great Circle - The intersection of a sphere and a plane through its center.

Greenwich Hour Angle (GHA) - The angular distance west of the Greenwich

celestial meridian measured westward from the Greenwich celestial meridian through

360°.
Line of Position (LOP) - A line indicating a series of possible positions of an observer,

determined by observation or measurement.

Local Hour Angle (LHA) - The angular distance west of the local celestial meridian

measured westward from the local celestial meridian through 360°.

Refraction - The bending of light waves as they pass through the atmosphere resulting

in the celestial body appearing higher in the sky than it would be if there was no

atmosphere. A calculated Altitude assumes that the earth has no atmosphere, so the

sextant Altitude has to be corrected for Refraction so that it can be compared to the

calculated Altitude. Refraction tables are included in the Air Almanac.

Sight Reduction Tables - Sight Reduction Tables are sets of tables from which the

calculated Altitude and Azimuth of a celestial body may be obtained for a given

Estimated Position.

Methodology

The actual mechanism for determining an accurate position, using only the stars for reference points, is
much

more complex than the above descriptions might imply. The mathematical calculations that are required
to

calculate azimuth and declination for a specific star for a specific date and a specific time are particularly

complex. However, the actual practice of celestial navigation has been greatly simplified as most of the

complex calculations have been done on behalf of the navigator and are presented in tabular form in
the Air
Almanac and the Sight Reduction Tables. As each of the values within the tables are only valid for a
specific

time, it is critical that the navigator ensures that their timepiece has been accurately synchronised

to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

A single heavenly body can be used to check true heading or to calculate a single Line of Position (LOP).
To

determine the position of the aircraft, two or more LOPs are required, be they from multiple celestial
sighting

or combinations of celestial and electronic LOPs. The process for carrying out a three star navigation fix

involves completing pre-fix calculations and extraction of information from the Almanac, using the
sextant to

measure the altitude and azimuth of each of the chosen stars and finally, plotting the resulting lines of
position.

Each navigator might have their own methodology but the process is roughly as follows:

Pre-Fix

For the time that a celestial fix is planned, an Assumed Positon is calculated. Longitude,

as close as possible to the Assumed Position, is applied to the Greenwich Hour Angle

(GHA) of the first point of Aries to produce a whole degree of Local Hour Angle (LHA).

The Star Tables are entered with the whole degree of Latitude (from the Assumed

Position) and the calculated whole degree of LHA to extract the calculated altitude and

azimuth values for the chosen star at the assumed position. In most cases, values are

extracted for three different stars with azimuths as close as possible to 120 degrees apart

("3 star fix").

Sighting

Typically, the sighting of three stars would take 10 minutes. The astro shots on the different stars were

normally spaced at four minute intervals, with each shot commencing one minute before its nominal
time

and ending one minute after. This left two minutes between shots in which experienced navigators
would

often start the plotting process. The most easily identifiable star would be shot first as that sighting
would

also yield a true heading check which, in turn, would provide an absolute reference for the azimuth
upon

which to sight each of the two remaining stars, making them much easier to find in the night sky.

Plotting

For each star, the sextant, or observed, altitude is then compared to the calculated

(tabular) altitude. Each star will yield a single position line located perpendicular to the

star's azimuth and at a distance from the assumed position that is proportional to the

difference between the observed and calculated altitude. If the observed altitude is

greater than the calculated altitude, the LOP is on the azimuth towards the star whereas

an observed altitude less than the calculated will yield an LOP on the azimuth away from

the star. As the second and third shots were not taken simultaneously with the first, they

would first have to be corrected for 4 and 8 minutes, respectively, of aircraft movement

before they were plotted.

In an ideal situation, the resulting three lines of position would all intersect at the same

point. More typically, however, is that the three LOPs would form a triangle ("cocked
hat") at the centre of which was the aircraft position at the time of the first shot.

This excerpt from the

1833 Nautical

Almanac

demonstrates the use

of astronomical

symbols, including

symbols for the

phases of the moon,

the planets, and

zodiacal

constellations.

"Designation of

celestial bodies" in

a German almanac

printed in 1850[1]

Solar System Symbols

How would you describe the celestial body?

By definition a celestial body is any natural

body outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

Easy examples are the Moon, Sun, and the

other planets of our solar system. ... Any

asteroid in space is a celestial body.

Celestial Bodies

Celestial Bodies

By the definition, a celestial body is a natural object outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.

For examples, Moon, Sun, and the other planets of our solar system. But, actually, these

are very partial examples. The Kuiper belt is holding many celestial bodies. Any

asteroid in our space is the celestial body. This article will give the necessary details

about the celestial bodies in a simple manner.

Celestial bodies are also termed as heavenly bodies. These are the objects in our space

like sun, moon, planets, and many stars. These are forming a part of the vast universe in

which we are living. The glorious night sky is having dotted appearance with such

objects. When anyone observes them using the telescope, these are looking very

fascinating. As these are so far away, we cannot see all of them using our naked eye.

Thus we need the telescopes to study them.

Our universe is containing an amazing collection of celestial objects or astronomical

objects. Though most of the observable cosmos is composed of the empty space. Still, this

cold, dark void which is sparsely populated by the number of astronomical objects. These

are ranging from the common to the bizarre. These are the stuff which is filled with the
empty space of the universe.

We all are familiar with the stars, planets, and moons. But besides these, many celestial

objects, are lying with an amazing collection of other sights. These are colourful nebulae,

delicate star clusters as well as the massive galaxies. Pulsars and quasars are further adding

to this mystery. Also, the black holes swallow up every bit of the matter which comes too

close. This search is on to identify the mysterious, invisible objects termed as dark matter.

Classification of the Celestial Bodies

Stars:

Stars are the giant balls of the hot gases which can produce their own light. They give out

the energy by converting Hydrogen gas into Helium in their own cores. Stars are very

gigantic in their size and are having an immense gravitational attraction. Our sun is a

medium-sized star giving us energy and making our life possible on earth.

Planets:

These are those large spherical objects which are revolving around the sun. Planets are in

motion in the fixed orbits around the sun. There are eight planets in our solar system.

Planets may be made up of rocks, metals and gases such as hydrogen, nitrogen and

methane. Our earth is also a planet and is the only known place in our universe having a

life. Those Planets which are revolving around other stars are exoplanets.
Satellites:

Satellites are those objects which are revolving around planets. These are forming the

essential part of many celestial bodies. These may be natural or maybe a human-made.

The moon is our natural satellite. It is revolving around it because it is bound by the

Earth’s gravitational pull. Human has also placed artificial or man-made satellites

around the earth and other planets. This is for doing study and for communication

purposes.

Comets:

These are the small chunks of ice and rock which come from the outer edge of the solar

system. While the closeness of these with the sun, their ice on them vaporizes, and

hence creating the beautiful tail behind them.

Asteroids:

These are the small and irregularly shaped rocks made up of metal or minerals having

orbit around the sun. Mostly these are found between Mars and Jupiter in the area

known as the asteroid belt.

Meteors and Meteorites:

These objects are from the space that enters our atmosphere due to the gravitational

pull of our Earth. Meteors are usually small and burn up objects in the atmosphere as
they enter the earth. It creates the streaks in the sky as though a star has fallen. These

are commonly called shooting stars. If a meteor is large enough it can reach up to the

surface of the earth and create the crater. These are termed as meteorites.

Galaxies:

Galaxies are meant for the large groups of stars, holding together through gravity. The

sun and the solar system is the part of our galaxy, which is popular as the Milky Way.

Other galaxies are usually so far away that these are looking like stars in the night sky.

The Andromeda galaxy and the Large Magellanic Clouds are the galaxies which can

be seen with the naked eye on a clear night.

Explanation of Planetary Geology

In recent years, scientists have also begun to investigate the geology of our planets. They

are also studying other celestial bodies which are making up our solar system. Planetary

geology is referring to the study of the solid matter which is constituting the celestial

bodies like planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. This geological study focuses on the

materials which are making up these celestial bodies.

Planetary geology is the field of investigations for the planets. This includes the study of

all celestial bodies like planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. A planet is the large

celestial body having revolution around the star. A moon is also a type of celestial body

that revolves around a planet. Our planet, Earth is having only one moon. But other

planets are having multiple moons.

Planets and moons are the larger celestial bodies available in our solar system. Comets

are the small celestial bodies constituted of small rock fragments. Most comets orbit the

sun and take many years to complete the journey. There are also some comets which are

having their journeys taking 3 million years.

When a comet getting closer to the sun, then it begins to evaporate, which releases a

stream of molecules behind the comets. Asteroids are the small celestial bodies orbiting

around the sun. These are mainly having rock and metallic components. If asteroids

collide among themselves, then they can be thrown off their normal orbits and travel in

any direction. This results in an asteroid colliding with another celestial body, most

frequently planets.

FAQs about Celestial Bodies

Q.1. Is our Earth a celestial body?

Solution: Our Earth was not considered as the planet. But rather it was considered as the central object
around which all

the other celestial objects orbiting. It is different from the terrestrial planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars
etc.

Q.3. Explain the celestial sphere.

Solution: Celestial bodies are keeping the relative balance due to gravitation and movement. Due to
their
appearance, all celestial bodies are like equidistant. Also, their relationship with observers is similar to
the

relationship between a point on a sphere and the centre of a sphere. This imaging sphere centred at the
observer

having any random radius is the celestial sphere.

Q.4. Explain the Polar star.

Solution: The pole star is a brightly visible star. It is approximately aligned with the axis of rotation of the
earth.

Therefore, it is having an apparent position close to one of the celestial poles. Also, it lies approximately
directly

overhead when viewed from the Earth’s the North Pole or the South Pole. This is the reason due to
which it always

remains in the same position in the Sky. We can easily locate it with the help of the Saptarishi.

Q.2. What are the seven main heavenly bodies?

Solution: Mainly seven celestial bodies are adopted the heavenly bodies. These are as follows:

Sun,

Moon,

Mercury,

Venus,
Mars,

Jupiter,

Saturn

How Nautical Almanac Helps in Marine Navigation?

Nautical Almanac is a type of navigation aid, which describes the position of

celestial bodies to assist navigators at sea to determine their ship’s position

using celestial navigation.

The nautical almanac contains astronomical data for the entire year which

assists the navigator in making astronomical calculations on ship. Reading the

bullet points will be easier if one has the almanac open in front for easy

reference.

A nautical almanac uses the time position as per the GMT (Greenwich

Meridian Time) along with the position of the earth to calculate and predict

the sea-routes. The position of the sun, the moon, the other planets and 57

main stars are also used along with the GMT and the earth’s position to

calculate the potential navigational routes.

The inside of the front cover has tables for the correction of altitudes of Sun, stars
and planets. The page after that provides tables for low altitudes of observations

for the same

The next page has data about refractional corrections

The following page has a list of contents of the almanac, a calendar of the phases

of the Moon, the year’s calendar, maps and notes which give information about

the occurrence of eclipses over the year

Onto planet notes and diagram for the year that shows LMT of the meridian

passage of the Sun and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

The diagram indicates period when each planet is too close to the Sun for

observation and when planets are visible. It also gives an indication of the position

of the planets at twilight

Then there is an ephemeris for the whole year calculated against GMT and dates.

Each pair of facing pages contain info for three days regarding:

ARIES: GHA for Aries given hourly and the GMT of its Greenwich merpass

time for the middle day. GMT of Greenwich merpass for preceding and

succeeding dates can be obtained by adding or subtracting respectively

PLANETS: The GHA and declination of the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter and

Saturn are given hourly along with their magnitudes and their ‘v’ and ‘d’

corrections as applicable and their SHA at 0000 hours. GMT of the middle
date and GMT of their Greenwich merpass on that date are given below the

star tables.

STARS: The SHAs and declination of 57 stars are provided (valid for all

three days)

SUN: GHA and declination given for each hour

MOON: GHA, declination and ‘v’ and ‘d’ corrections and horizontal parallax

values are provided for each hour

The Nautical Almanac contains astronomical information to support bridge crews in routine

and emergency celestial navigation, as well as the calculation of daylight hours and mandatory

gyro checks. It is carried on every ship within the Royal Navy and is at the core of celestial

navigational training courses worldwide.

The Nautical Almanac includes:

Tabulations of the Sun, Moon, navigational planets and stars to help determine positions at

sea when using a sextant

Times of sunrise, sunset, twilights, moonrise and moonset, phases of the Moon and eclipses of

the Sun and Moon to help bridge crews plan observations

Interpolation and altitude correction tables, pole star tables and diagrams, and notes for the
identification of stars and planets

Information on standard times for countries around the world

A concise set of sight reduction tables and sight reduction forms

Also available as an e-Nautical Publication

In addition to paper format, the ADMIRALTY Nautical Almanac is available as an ADMIRALTY

e-Nautical Publication (AENP). AENPs bring improved efficiency, accuracy and access to

information bridge crews need through electronic NM updates and simple search functionality.

Astronomical information to support marine celestial navigation

Rapid Sight Reduction Tables for Marine (NP303 volumes 1, 2 &3)

Available as a three volume set. Volume 1 is aimed at the navigator using astro-navigation

and

provides the optimum selection of stars for a three-star fix. Volume 2 covers latitudes between

0° and 40°, with Volume 3 covering latitudes between 39° and 89°.

ADMIRALTYAstronomical Publications

NavPac and Compact Data (DP330)

NavPac software enables navigators to compute their position at sea using celestial

navigation. It provides methods for calculating the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets and

stars to a consistent precision, with the aid of a pocket calculator, personal computer or laptop.

This software package also includes features designed to make celestial navigation easier,

including:

Functions for calculating great circle and rhumb line tracks, and rise and set times of celestial

objects

Tools for determining altitudes and azimuths

'Find next phenomena' functionality

Additional plotting options

Night mode

NavPac is used worldwide by the Royal Navy and by many navigators who require an independent
means

of navigation.

The Astronomical Almanac (GP100)

A worldwide resource for fundamental astronomical data, the Astronomical

Almanac includes contributions from astronomical experts, as well as a wide

variety of technical and general astronomical information. This includes:

Positions of the Sun, Moon and planets to milli-arcsecond precision

Positions of minor planets and planetary satellites for each year

Data relating to Earth orientation, time-scales and coordinate systems

Sunrise/set, moonrise/set and twilight times

Reference data for stars and stellar systems, observatories and related

astronomical constants and techniques.

This is a joint publication with the United States Naval Observatory.

The Star Almanac (NP321)

The Star Almanac contains positions of the major and selected bright stars in a

tabular format for easy identification. It is ideal for land surveyors who use

astronomical observations to determine their geographical position or the

direction to true north.

This edition includes:

A CD containing the almanac in PDF format and the coefficients representing

the positions of the Sun and stars in ASCII files

Coefficients for calculating the Greenwich hour angle and declination of all the

stars published in The Star Almanac, accurate to about 1 arcsecond

Polynomial coefficients for calculating R (GHA Aries - UT), declination, E and

semi-diameter of the Sun are also included.

Astronomical Phenomena (GP200)

This publication provides a summary of astronomical events. It is published

several years in advance and contains much of Section A of the corresponding

Astronomical Almanac (GP100).

This publication includes:

Phases of the Moon, eclipses of the Sun and Moon

Principal occultations, planetary phenomena, elongations and magnitudes of

the planets

Times of sunrise/set, moonrise/set.

Tabulated equations of time, the declination of the Sun and the Greenwich

hour angles of the pole stars Polaris and Sigma Octantis

NAV 4 – CELESTIAL
NAVIGATION

Topic 2: Ship’s Position

Specification of minimum standard of competence

for officers in charge of a navigational watch on ships

of 500 gross tonnage or more

STCW Table A-II/1

Function:

Navigation at the operational level

I - INTRODUCTION:

NAV. 4 – CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Competence: A-II/1 F1.C1

Plan and conduct a passage and Determine Position

KUP: A-II/1 F1.C1 KUP6.2

Ability to use celestial bodies to determine position

Course Outcome:

CO1: Plot ship’s position using observation of three stars during

twilight.

CO2: Determine compass error by observation of sun’s amplitude.

Assessment

Written Exams (quizzes, essay,

prelim, midterm, final, etc.)

Oral Exam

Recitation

Interaction

Reaction paper

Seatwork

ETC
LO1.2:

Determine the

ship’s position

using the

celestial bodies

Topic 2

Ship’s

Position

Research assignment on

determining the ship’s

position using the

appropriate celestial bodies

and a given conditions.

Video presentation on the

different ship’s position given

different conditions.

Interactive discussion on

determining the ship’s

position using the

appropriate celestial bodies

Conduct demonstration using

celestial to determine ships

position according to a given

condition.

Activity No.2:

Determine the ship’s position

given some necessary

information.

Multimedia

presentations

Handouts

Magnetic

Compass

Drawing

instruments

Concept images,

illustrations,

diagrams
including

drawings

Workshop,

worksheets, or

activity sheets

Nautical Almanac

Other relevant

publications

Written Assessment

No.2

Write a narrative that

will describe how the

Celestial bodies is useful

in determining ship’s

position during

navigation

Performance

Assessment No.2
Presentation of Output

on determining the

ship’s position.

6 HRS.

Learning

Outcome/s

Topic/s

Teaching

& Learning Activities

References and

Equipment

Assessment Tasks

Indicative

Hours

Course Title: NAV 4 – CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Topic: SHIP’S POSITION

ILO’s: At the end of the lesson, the students should be

able to:

Explain ship’s position.

Determine the ship’s position using the appropriate celestial

bodies and a given conditions.

Demonstrate using celestial to determine ships position

according to a given condition.

Determine the ship’s position given some necessary information.

INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE

Research assignment on determining the ship’s position

using the appropriate celestial bodies and a given

conditions.

Video presentation on the different ship’s position given

different conditions.

Interactive discussion on determining the ship’s position

using the appropriate celestial bodies

Conduct demonstration using celestial to determine ships

position according to a given condition.

Activity No.2:

Determine the ship’s position given some necessary information.

Teaching & Learning Activities

A sextant is a traditional navigational tool. It measures the angle

between two objects, such as the horizon and a celestial object such

as a star or planet. This angle can then be used to calculate the

ship's position on a nautical chart.

Research assignment on determining the ship’s position using the

appropriate celestial bodies and a given conditions.

How do you compute for position of a celestial body?

Zenith distance + True Altitude = 90 Degrees. All we want is True

altitude of the celestial body which can be calculated by measuring

the altitude of the celestial body by a sextant and applying few

corrections to the measured altitude by sextant.

Which of the following is a position obtained by observation of

celestial bodies?

celestial navigation, use of the observed positions of celestial bodies

to determine a navigator's position. The navigator then uses

a sextant or bubble octant to measure the altitude of the celestial

object and records this altitude using Greenwich Civil Time.

How is the position of a vessel obtained?

By taking compass bearings of suitable objects on the shore and

transferring these bearings on to the chart, the point of intersection

of the bearings, called a fix, gives the ship's position. ... The most

common device for obtaining bearings is the bearing or azimuth

circle.

Find the selected stars in the sky

Now we know the stars we need to star sight and its location in the sky. So when the nautical twilight

starts, be ready with the sextant to measure the altitude of the selected stars as these become visible.

Keep on looking in the direction the azimuth of the selected star. For example from the bridge wing gyro

repeater, look where is 105 degrees.

The star Arcturus will be visible in this direction.

But then the question is, how high in the sky to look for this star ?

You can get this information by measuring the sky with your fist. Height of one fist is equal to 10 degrees

of altitude.

So for star Arcturus (approx altitude 60 degrees), start from the horizon (in the

direction of 105 degrees bearing) and measure height of 6 fist. This is where

this star would appear.

Do same for other two stars and get to know the approximate position where you

would expect the star to appear.

Now keep on looking closely in these three locations in the sky and measure the

sextant altitude of the star as soon as the star appear.

Measure the sextant altitude

Before you get ready for measuring the sextant altitude, get to know the “Index

error” of the sextant. (I am not eleborating on the sextant errors in this post).

Now as you see your selected stars in the sky, measure its altitude by sextant.

Do not forget to note down the exact time of measuring the sextant altitude.
Inaccuracy in noting down the time can cause error in final position of the ship.

Calculate the position line and position through which to draw it:

It’s calculation time now.

For each observation, calculate the position line. For star sights, intercept method is preferred for

calculations.

With the intercept method, we get by calculations

the intercept (towards azimuth or away from azimuth)

Azimuth

Position line (90 degrees from the azimuth)

We already know the DR position of the ship. With these values we can plot the position line on

the chart.

Let us say that for star Arcturus, we got

Intercept : 1.0 NM towards azimuth

Azimuth : 108 degrees

Position line will be 018 degrees – 198 degrees

We just need to know from where to draw this position line. From the DR position we need to draw

azimuth line and cut the intercept of 1 NM.

If the intercept was 1.0 NM away we would need to draw the azimuth line in the opposite direction

and cut 1NM mile on this line.

The position line will be 90 degrees from the azimuth at the point of intercept that we cut. It would

look something like this.

How is the position of a vessel obtained?

Basics of celestial sight

This is how the position line looks in theory.

But in reality when taking star sights on board, we need to plot this on the chart with all the lines

(azimuth, intercept etc) to the measurement.

This is how we need to plot the position line on the chart.

Similarly, we

need to draw the

position lines

obstained from

the celestial

observation

of other two stars

on the chart.

The position

where all the

three position

lines would meet

is the position of

the ship obtained

from the star

sight.

This is how this star sight plotted on the chart may look like.

Just use the parallel

ruler for reading the

position you just

obtained from the

star sight.

I will discuss about getting ship’s position by Sun sight.

1. Getting the DR position

The first thing that we must know is our DR position.

We cannot expect to suddenly land ourself in the middle of the sea.

We must be aware of our whereabout.

To know the DR position of the vessel, we just get the last known position of the

ship and apply our course and speed to that position to get the present DR

position.

This is not so difficult task.

Theoretically, we get this by calculating D’Lat and D’Long between the two

positions.

Practically, you can plot your last

know position on the chart, draw the

course and distance from this

position and measure the arrived

position from the chart.

Alternatively there are many

softwares available to get the arrived

position from a known position with

known speed and course.

But if you are taking sun sight just for

practicing your hands on sextant,

you can simply take the present GPS

position as DR position.

This will allow you to better check

accuracy of your sight.

Let us say we have got the DR

position as

22 deg 00 min North

119 deg 48 min East

2. Take the morning sight

In the morning when the sun is above the visible horizon, measure the sextant

altitude of the Sun.

The accuracy of the sight results depend solely on the accuracy of measurement
of sextant altitude.

And the accuracy of measuring sextant altitude solely depend upon the

experience of using the sextant.

That is why it is important to practice taking sights when your GPS is still

working.

Let us say we have taken the morning sight and we have measured the sextant

altitude of the sun as 27 deg 22.1 minutes.

The time of the sight need to be noted down precisely to the second. So let us

say that the time of the sight was 08:33:32 LT (00:33:32 GMT).

Next would be to calculate the observed longitude.

3. Calculate the observed longitude by Long by Chron method.

This is the part that we all have studied during our competency exams. We all

know about the calculations.

And we know that for long-by-chron, we need to know

DR Position of the ship

Index error of Sextant

Height of eye

Measured sextant altitude of the Sun

Time of sight

2nd Position line by Mer-Pass

So with long by chron, we have got our first position line.

But to get the ship’s position we need a second position line.

We use the Sun’s Meridian passage to get the second position line.

In Mer-Pass, we measure the sextant altitude of the body when it is on the observer’s Meridian,

i.e directly above the head of the observer.

To get the position line from Mer-pass, we would need

DR Position

The time when the Sun will be on our meridian or say directly above our head which is Mer-Pass

time of the Sun for that day

Index error of Sextant

Height of eye

Measured sextant altitude of the Sun

Get the Mer-pass time of Sun

We know that the Sun is directly above our head around noon time. In reality it may be few

minutes here and there from the noon time.

The Sun’s Mer-pass time for each day is given in the Nautical Almanac.

The Sun’s Mer-pass time for each day is given in the Nautical Almanac.

But this time is the Local mean time. We need to get the time as per the ship’s clocks (and GMT time)

for the Sun Mer-Pass.

And I am sure

you know how

do we convert

LMT time to

Ship’s time. It

is by applying
the LIT

(longitude in

time) to the

LMT.

And to get the longitude at the time of Mer-Pass, we need the Mer-Pass time so that we can apply the
run to

the observed longitude calculated by Long-by Chron.

It is a kind of

chicken-egg

situation.

But as the

longitude itself will

be DR, we can

apply the run and

calculate the

longitude at 1200

Hrs LT.

So we have the observed longitude at 08:33:32 LT and let us say the vessel was doing a course of

45 Deg with speed of 12 Knots between that time to noon time.

After applying the run, we get the arrived longitude as 120 deg 13.8 Mins EAST. I leave the

calculation to you.
For 2nd May 2018, from the Almanac we have the LMT Merpass for Sun as 11:57.

Ship is

maintaining the

time as GMT+8

Hours. We

convert the LMT

Merpass time to

ship’s time.

Now this is the time that

the Sun would be directly

above our head at our

position.

Measure the sextant altitude at Mer-Pass time

At the Mer-Pass time that we have calculated (11:56:05 Ship’s time or 03:56:05

GMT), we need to measure the Sextant altitude of the Sun.

Around 2-3 minutes before this time, be ready with the sextant on the bridge

wing.

Have one person stand by with an accurate clock.

Around 30 Seconds before the Mer-pass time, you should have brought the Sun

to the horizon through the Sextant and keep on adjusting the Sun to keep it at

the horizon.

When the person with the clock says stop to indicate the Mer-pass time, Read

the sextant altitude from the sextant.

This will be the sextant altitude of the Sun at Mer-Pass.

It is important that the sextant altitude is measured accurately and exactly at the

Mer-Pass time.

Calculate the observed

Latitude and 2nd Position

line

As the Sun was directly above

above head at the time of

mer-pass and at the time of sight,

the position line will be in the

east-west direction.

Or we can say that the latitude we

will get from this sight will be our

position line also as latitudes runs

east-west direction.

To calculate the latitude by

meridian passage, just head to

the sight calculator and enter all

the values and press calculate.

Of course, you can do

the calculation part

manually or with any

other software or excel

sheets you may have.

Just make sure to

verify the calculations.

With this we will get the

observed latitude of the

ship at the time of the

Meridian passage of

the Sun.

So we have our Latitude at the

time of Meridian passage

which was at 1156 Hrs.

Transfer first position line to Merpass time

To get the position of the

ship at 1156 Hrs, we just

need to transfer the first

position line (that we got

through long by Chron) to

this time.

The first position line was at

0833 Hrs ship’s time. So the

Run time to 1156 Hrs will be

3 Hours 23 Minutes.

As we agreed earlier our

course during this time was

045 degrees and speed of 12

Knots.

By applying the run, we will

get the first position line at

the same time as the 2nd

position line.
We get the ship’s position

Now both the position lines

are at same time. The position

at which these two position

lines would intersect will be

the ship’s position at 1156 Hrs

(Mer-pass time of Sun for that

day).

Since ages, maritime industry is

obsessed with ship’s position at

noon.

So if we need the ship’s position

at noon, we just need to apply

run for 4 minutes to the position

at 1156 Hrs to get the noon

position.

Conclusion

Getting the position by Sun sight is somewhat similar to getting the position by running

fix in terrestrial navigation.

In both of these, there is only one object.

Like in running fix, for sun sight too we need to get the position line from the Sun at two

different times.

One position line is then brought to the same time as the second position line.

The position at which the both position line (when brought to same times) intersect is

the position of the ship.

For sun sight, we get first position line in the morning by measuring the sextant altitude

and calculating the position line with Long-by-Chron.

2nd position line is by measuring the sextant altitude of the sun exactly at the time of its

Mer-pass.

The morning position line is then brought to the same time as the position line at the

time of Mer-pass.

The intersection of these two position lines gives us the position of the ship at the time

of Mer-pass.

If we need to get the ship’s position at noon, we can just apply the run to get the ship’s

position at noon.