Celestial Navigation

A form of navigation used by airplanes and ships. Location fixes are found by observing the angle between the observer and one of the navigational stars, and noting the exact time the observation is made. The exact location of the navigational star at the time of the observation is found by referring to a nautical almanac. The location on the earth's surface of the star at the time of observation and the angle between the star and the observer are plotted on a navigational chart. Celestial navigation has been almost entirely replaced by various forms of electronic navigation, which are more accurate and easier to use.


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