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So my only piece of equipment is a sextant I use for the odd star fix or taking a sunline. I have some night vision I use as well, just when I am bored. I work as a navigator on ships and spend a lot of time looking at the night sky in the middle of the ocean. In the winter of 2007, while off the East Coast of Africa, I saw something that I was hoping someone might be able to identify. I have seen a fair amount of comets, and know that they travel pretty much as the stars do, in that their apparent motion across the sky is the same as everything else over the course of the night. Sure they move relative to everything else, but pretty slowly, like planets. I saw what looked like a comet, with a white glowing point and a large fanning tail that spread away from the point. The weird thing was that this thing set in the east, over about 40 minutes. It was initially about 45 deg above the horizon. It may have been aurora, but I have seen a lot of that, and it did not dance, was white, and I was about 5 degrees above the equator. Also, if there is real interest, I might try and explain the basics of celestial navigation when I get home. Is there any interest?
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Aug 18, 2009 07:33
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 22:52 |
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The weird thing was that it set in the east though, and fast. Like I said, it looked a lot like the aurora which I am very familiar with having worked in Alaska, but I was a few degrees above the equator north of Madagascar. Also, I will try and write a thread for some Celestial Navigation basics. I have to refresh my skills after 2 years of not sailing anyway.
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Aug 19, 2009 15:33
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Okay, over a year ago I asked if there was interest in some basics of Celestial Navigation. Is that still the case? I have a users knowledge of a sextant, and taking observations to calculate a three (or more) body fix as well as sunrise and set and azimuths/amplitudes. I can try and write a thread if people want to see this stuff and how it is still used at sea today. I ask now as I am no longer working at sea and I would like to try and keep my skills somewhat current.
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Nov 17, 2011 19:15
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Okay, I will try and type something up soon.
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Nov 18, 2011 02:29
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