What are the basics of celestial navigation?

Celestial navigation involves determining position or orientation by observing stars and other celestial bodies. Historically applied alongside mathematics like trigonometry, modern spacecraft also utilize optical star trackers to measure star positions against catalogs and determine their attitude.

What we know

• Trigonometry has historically been applied in areas such as celestial mechanics and navigation. [3]
• A star tracker is an optical device that measures star positions using photocells or a camera to determine spacecraft orientation. [2]
• Star trackers use an onboard processor to identify stars by matching observed patterns with known positions in a star catalog. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do optical star trackers measure star positions on spacecraft?
• the bigger pictureHow does trigonometry relate to celestial navigation?
• a case in pointHow did early sailors teach themselves celestial navigation during voyages?
• compared withHow do satellite-based navigation systems compare to traditional star sightings?
• whenWhen did the mathematical study of triangles and angles emerge?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a famous novelist learn celestial navigation during a Pacific voyage?Author Jack London famously taught himself celestial navigation and boat handling firsthand during his 1907 South Pacific voyage aboard the Snark.

Sources

• [1]star tracker (Wikidata Q3561009) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Star tracker · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Trigonometry · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Global Positioning System · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]The Cruise of the Snark · CC BY-SA 4.0