Description
Star Finder U.S. Pub. 2102-D is a classic navigational aid designed for astronomical navigation at sea. The publication enables navigators to quickly and accurately identify navigational stars using a rotatable star disk and associated tables.
Star Finder is used in conjunction with the Nautical Almanac and sextant to find which navigation stars are visible at a given time and from a given latitude. By setting the observer’s latitude and local sidereal time, the navigator can easily see which stars are above the horizon and the approximate azimuth and elevation angles they will have. This makes it much easier to select the right stars for observations during astronomical navigation.
U.S. Pub. 2102-D was developed by the American hydrographic community and is a standard tool in traditional celestial navigation. The publication typically consists of a star chart and a book of tables, which together make it possible to identify navigational stars all over the world.
Star Finder is particularly useful for night navigation, where the navigator must find and identify the correct stars before making sextant observations. The tool is still used in maritime education and by sailors who want to master classic astronavigation independently of electronic navigation systems.
