Description
Celestial Navigation in the GPS Age by John Karl is a detailed introduction to celestial navigation for sailors, navigators and students. The revised and expanded edition connects traditional astronomical navigation with GPS and modern calculation methods, explaining how an observation becomes a calculated line of position.
It starts with straightforward tabular sight reduction before introducing methods using a scientific calculator. Topics include the navigational triangle, the role of the assumed position and plotting celestial lines of position. 72 exercises provide opportunities to practise the methods and check your understanding.
The book also covers star and planet identification, Polaris sights, meridian observations and lunar distances. A dedicated chapter examines sextants, including the differences between horizon mirrors and telescopes. Further topics include constructing plotting sheets, running fixes, planning landfalls and checking compass deviation at sea.
Beginners can follow the progression from the underlying concepts to a complete sight reduction. More experienced navigators can use it as a reference when revisiting particular calculations or observations. Appendices bring together formulae, table extracts and supporting explanations for further study.
English-language paperback, revised and expanded edition, 310 pages. Author: John Karl. Publisher: Paradise Cay Publications (Paracay). ISBN: 9780939837755.
