Navigation techniques using the sky

Maori

Mar 28, 1300

The Māori came to New Zealand from eastern Polynesia, probably in several waves between the years 1280 to 1300. With no instruments or tables to consult, they very carefully observed the night sky as well local weather patterns and ocean currents.

Compass

May 31, 1300

Compass invented in 1300, helps guide which direction one is going when looking at the stars for a guide.

Stars

Mar 29, 1603

Johann Bayer introduces Bayer designation of stars, assigning Greek letters to stars, still in use today

telescope

Mar 29, 1608

Hans Lippershey, a Dutch spectacles maker invents the telescope.

Galileo

Mar 29, 1609

Galileo uses telescope for astronomical purposes. He discovers 4 Jovian moons, the Moon's craters and the Milky Way galaxy.

Greenwich

Mar 28, 1675

Greenwich served as the location for accurate measurements of the heavens, since 1884, was recognized as the international location of the prime meridian, or zero degrees longitude.

Sextant

Mar 28, 1757

John Bird made the first sextant in 1757, The sextant became the critical instrument for celestial observation.

Nautical Almanac

Mar 28, 1766

contained tables related to efforts to determine longitude by means of lunar distance, a method of celestial navigation based on knowing the Moon’s position relative to other celestial bodies at specific places and time

Line of Position

Mar 28, 1837

While nearing land on his way to Scotland in 1837, Captain Thomas Sumner of Boston had an insight that ultimately changed the practice of celestial navigation. With only one sighting on the Sun, Sumner made three different calculations based on estimates of his latitude. Plotted on a chart, the results lay along a straight line. He realized that any ship seeing the Sun at the same altitude in the sky must be located somewhere on that line. This was confirmed by sailing along that course until a