STAR-FINDER 2102-D

Description

The STAR-FINDER is a concept of the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office and graphically displays the altitude and azimuth of the 57 selected fixed stars of the Nautical Almanack.

The variable positions of the Sun, Moon and planets can be marked separately.

Why use the star globe or star finder?

Star globes or star finders are suitable for the alternating conversion of celestial to horizontal coordinates of the stars.

Question:

Where is this or that star at my current position? The celestial coordinates: Local hour angle and declination from the nautical yearbook are set accordingly on the star globe or finder. Now read the horizontal coordinates at the location of the star found in this way: Azimuth, i.e. direction, and altitude. Conversely, you can deduce the celestial coordinates and thus the name of the unknown star from the altitude and direction. This facilitates astronavigation with the sextant:

• For example, you can observe an unknown star between wisps of clouds. The sextant altitude and approximate direction are determined. Now it is possible to find celestial coordinates and celestial names to calculate the line of site.
• Venus, invisible to the naked eye in the daytime sky, is to be located with the sextant. One uses star globes or star finders to determine altitude and direction. Through the sextant optics, Venus can now be spotted.

It is also particularly convenient to use navigation calculators, which often have corresponding functions.