Re: Navigating by the Stars--Simple Methods?

From: W. Watson (wolf_tracks_at_invalid.inv)
Date: 09/20/04 

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 15:33:38 GMT

Tony Flanders wrote:

> "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.inv> wrote in message news:<_Ar1d.463$Y65.431@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
>
>
>>Where I'm headed with this topic is trying to teach some kayakers
>>something about the night (and day) sky and navigation out in the
>>backwoods. It's more of an attempt to teach them a little astronomy ...
>
>
> Truth be told, all you need for that is knowing how to find Polaris.
> Celestial navigation in the traditional sense means finding your
> latitude and longitude by the stars, but that requires specialized
> and highly accurate equipment, and most kayakers never travel far
> enough to alter their long. and lat. beyond the error of measurement.
> So really, the stars (or Sun) are only useful for finding directions.
>
> However, if you're in the woods, it may be impossible to see Polaris.
> In the eastern U.S., you'll be lucky if you can see any stars at all
> through the forest canopy, and if you do happen to find an opening,
> the chances that it will point at Polaris are slim.
>
> So you might get a planisphere and show people how you can use it
> to find out what stars are at the other cardinal directions. I once
> was out hiking at night when that skill came very much in handy,
> although I was using the planisphere in my head, not a physical one.
> I wanted to be going south but saw eastern stars in front of me,
> so I knew it was time to hunker down and wait for dawn before I
> got even more lost. The compass at the bottom of my pack would
> have told me the same thing, but I would have gotten a good deal
> more lost before I took the trouble to dig it out.
>
> - Tony Flanders
Yes, I agree for kayakers there are some difficulties that one might not 'normally'
have. The experience you mention is about all I presently expect to relate to the
group. Mostly I see it as an exercise in aquainting them with the sky without a lot
of hope to spend much time on solid navigationaly ideas. However, a few years ago,
NOVA had a program on Easter Island (Secrets of) that had one hour on how Polynesians
used the sky and other observations to navigate the Pacific. I wish the tape were
still available. They did quite well with the brighter stars, signs of birds, winds,
clouds, and the like. The Vikings had some pretty clever methods for navigating too.
The constructed some wooden devices that somehow reflected the coast line of the
countries they raided, and used it with stars and perhaps land points. I'm trying to
get more info on that. 

-- 
              Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
                  (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
                        Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
             (Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)
             Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.
                         Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews>

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