Mastering Celestial Navigation
This course provides a complete tutorial for modern celestial navigation as practiced by professional mariners and yacht sailors.
This free course is a master class in celestial navigation using the Altitude Intercept Method. The course includes an illustrated textbook (PDF) as well as hundreds of sample problems with solutions for your practice. After completing this course, students will be proficient in the basic five-step celestial sight reduction process using the Nautical Almanac and HO229 for plotting lines of position from celestial bodies.
Your Instructor
Christopher D. Nolan is a career mariner and educator, with decades of seaagoing experience having held command of military, commercial, and private vessels at sea. He operates Practical Navigator Training - a high quality, low cost online maritime training school.
Course Curriculum
Part 1: Observing the Celestial Body
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Start1.0 Course Introduction (1:47)
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Start1.1 Types of Navigation and Celestial 5-Step Process (11:51)
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Start1.2 The Marine Sextant (1:44)
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Start1.3 Sextant Cleaning and Tuning (3:23)
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Start1.4 Making Sextant Observations (5:31)
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Start1.5 Index Corrections (3:49)
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Start1.6 The Nautical Almanac (Part 1) - Standard Corrections (2:37)
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Start1.7 Height of Eye Corrections (3:56)
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Start1.8 Altitude Corrections (Normal Conditions) (4:13)
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Start1.9 Altitude Corrections (Abnormal Conditions) (3:43)
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Start1.10 Altitude Corrections for the Moon (4:37)
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Start1.11 Key Skill: From Hs to Ho (0:54)
Part 2: Finding the Celestial Body's Position Above Earth
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Start2.0 Introduction to Geographic Position (5:05)
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Start2.1 The Nautical Almanac (Part 2) - Geographic Position (0:49)
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Start2.2 Determining Declination (3:25)
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Start2.3 Determining Greenwich Hour Angle (3:24)
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Start2.4 Interpolation (3:06)
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Start2.5 Fundamentals of Time Zones (3:57)
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Start2.6 Conversion of Arc to Time (3:25)
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Start2.7 Mathematics of Time And Arc (2:28)
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Start2.8 V and D Corrections (3:22)
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Start2.9 Key Skill: Geographic Position of the Sun at Any Time (4:41)
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Start2.10 Key Skill: Geographic Position of Other Bodies at Any Time (5:17)
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Start2.11 Key Skill: Time of Sunrise/Set (8:04)
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Start2.12 Key Skill: Time of Meridian Passage (4:36)
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Start2.13 Key Skill: Latitude by Meridian Passage of the Sun (Noon Sight) (20:44)
Part 3: Building a Celestial Triangle as a Proxy
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Start3.0 Introduction to Spherical Triangles (2:15)
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Start3.1 Geographic Position Revisited (2:48)
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Start3.2 The Elevated Pole (1:08)
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Start3.3 Dead Reckoning and the Assumed Position (2:10)
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Start3.4 Local Hour Angle (4:39)
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Start3.5 Key Skill: Entering Arguments for Solving Spherical Triangles (3:15)
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Start3.6 Astronomy of Aries (4:28)
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Start3.7 Starfinder 2102-D (3:35)
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Start3.8 Key Skill: Latitude by Polaris (4:24)
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
What should I study after this course?
If you would like to continue your study of celestial navigation at the professional level, the course "Navigation Problems for USCG Exams" or the course "Celestial/Oceans Navigation at the 200 ton level" are good courses. These are available on our website www.practicalnavigator.org.
Thanks for the free course, but how can I support Practical Navigator's mission?
If you'd like to contribute to our scholarship fund for merchant mariner students in need, please reach out to [email protected]. We also have limited quantities of hats, t-shirts, and printed books for sale. Proceeds go to the student fund.