Celestial navigation facts for kids
A diagram of a nautical sextant, a tool used in celestial navigation
Celestial navigation is a method of navigation where a person figures out their location and direction using the stars in the night sky. It has been used by sailors to help them find their way in the night. They look for familiar stars or constellations, which will help them find their way.
Celestial navigation involves comparing the angle of certain stars to other stars and how high they are above the Earth's horizon. By doing this, a person can find their longitude.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Using a marine sextant to measure the altitude of the sun above the horizon
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Two nautical ship officers "shoot" in one morning with the sextant, the sun altitude (1963)
See also
In Spanish: Historia de la navegación astronómica para niños
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Celestial navigation Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.