I'm just wondering because I'm trying to learn Celestial Navigation and I go onto amazon and all the books are about celestial navigation for seafarers. Could these books be used as a starting point for learning celestial navigation on land?
Thanks.
starryskyn
The difference is most of the time, on the sea you can maintain a straight course between positions. This is "dead reckoning". On land, you have to go around obstacles.
On the sea, you have to take into account currents and winds that affect your course and speed. On land, you don't. On the sea, you have a flat horizon that things are measured from. On land, that is rare. Land sightings with a sextant are easier, as you are stable.
Desert travelers have used celestial navigation to good benefit. Conditions there are very similar to the ocean. Give it a shot, you will like it.
Andrew S
In so far as determining your position and heading go, yes, with a few provisos. On land you are not constantly moving which means you can gain accuracy in some observations. However, you do not have the same uncluttered horizon that you usually have at sea, and so some timing operations that depend on observing the rise or set of objects can't be done in the same way.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Orignal From: Is There A Difference Between Land and Maritime Celestial Navigation?
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