Navy back to Sextant

[SmithDoor]

This off subject of engines.
Asking about Navy is teaching Celestial Navigation to new officers.
The Navy start this about 10 year ago with training new officers but making the news this year. I was read whole article but could not find it.

I hopping some one else read the article or better know why
Maybe have copy .

I think of a resion is solar flares.

Any know other reasons why you need Celestial Navigation today?


It could a interesting project is make sextant, Bubble octant, transit or Astrolabe.

Dave

FYI
1) Sextant for use in ocean
2) Bubble Octant. Aircraft in air
3) Transit. On the land
3) Astrolabe. Very old use on ocean similar to Bubble Octant

 

[ChazzC]

Haven’t seen the article you are looking for, but I learned celestial navigation when I was in NROTC training at college and was required to complete a “day’s work” in celestial navigation as part of my Surface Warfare Qualification after I was commissioned. At that time most ships had satellite navigation and we had a satellite communications system installed while I was Communications Officer (I was later Navigator, and we always took star and Sun sights every day as a backup to SatNav). I also learned the Morse Code, how to read signal flags and a lot of things you don’t have the clearance & need to know for me to discuss, but all of this was long ago.

Professional Officer Training has been very lax in the Navy during the last 10 - 20 years, which resulted in a number of collisions and deaths, with subsequent very senior officers being relieved and IIRC court martialed. I can only assume that the US Navy is attempting to get training reinstated and is starting from the ground up.

 

[kvom]

I took a class in Celestial Nav during a sailing trip from Bermuda to Fort Lauderdale. I bought a Russian sextant on eBay and still have it. Sun and moon sights were easy but I could never hold steady enough for stars.

You practice at home using a pan of motor oil as an artificial horizon.

 

[SmithDoor]

I took a class in Celestial Nav during a sailing trip from Bermuda to Fort Lauderdale. I bought a Russian sextant on eBay and still have it. Sun and moon sights were easy but I could never hold steady enough for stars.

You practice at home using a pan of motor oil as an artificial horizon.

( I could never hold steady enough for stars )
I think problem with most of us will have.

They Navy most hàve some reson for teaching navigation on Sextant.

After looking all different types it could a fun project to build too.
The Astrolabe. It is Very old use on ocean simple to use

You practice at home using a pan of motor oil as an artificial horizon

I was told a sextant is harder to on dry land. Pan motor sounds great.

(I know off subject of engines it just fun to look at)

***** Below is just accuracy data & information *****

I did transit but on ground not a rolling boat or ship.
The transit I have is 20 seconds that is within 2,000 feet

The Navy could train most officers on the open sea to be with 1.5 miles.

Navigates on large aircraft in WW2 said the hope to be in 25 miles on a moving aircraft.

Radio navigation (radio direction finding (RDF) ) is less than 1° accuracy .
{Basically the closed you are to transmitter the more accurate }


GPS is generally accurate to within 16 feet (5 meters) under open sky conditions


Base on Earth I use circumference 24,900 Earth is not round.

Dave

 

[clockworkcheval]

There is an easy rationale for sailors on the high sea to learn celestial navigation: if for any reason your electrical systems fail - batteries, engine, a short - you can still rely on your sails to get any place, as long as you know where you are and where to go.