Celestial Navigation Net
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Celestial Navigation Net Break out of a frame A Poem in Defense of Lunars Recent Additions here - Land and Sea Collection Message from the webmistress concerning email and other notes - also, please order from Amazon here to keep this site alive! APRIL 2004 Chiamavi 'l cielo e'ntorno vi si gira, mostrandovi le sue bellezze etterne* Welcome to the Celestial Navigation Net! Celestial Navigation is the art and science of finding your way by the sun, moon, stars, and planets, and, in one form or another, is one of the oldest practices in human history. This webpage is an attempt to bring together all of the best Celestial Navigation resources on the internet, with pointers to other resources as well. Find out why we should study Celestial navigation in the age of GPS; get an introduction to Celestial Navigation's history, then take a look at the navigational astronomy page as a background for the theory and practice; teachers, discover how celestial navigation can enliven the classroom, whether your field is earth science, astronomy, math, history, or literature, with special links about Vikings; learn about navigational instruments, including sextants, astrolabes, nocturnals, and planispheres; learn about nonwestern, noninstrument Polynesian starpaths and Wayfinding; read quotations about navigation; check out some schools; or just go directly to the list of resources which lists the sources from the other pages. Other links of interest are here. *The heavens call to you and circle about you, displaying to you their eternal splendors...." Dante, Purgatorio, Canto XIV http://www.celestialnavigation.net/ (1 of 2) [9/6/2004 12:50:10 PM] Celestial Navigation Net Marion-Bermuda Race offers Celestial Certificate All original material copyright 2000 and 2001. Every effort has been made to use only pictures in the public domain or created by webmistress. (why "webmistress?") If you are the copyright owner of a picture or quotation inadvertently used without attribution or permission, contact me. Please write with links and corrections as well. http://www.celestialnavigation.net/ (2 of 2) [9/6/2004 12:50:10 PM] July A Poem in Defense of Lunars This poem was presented to me by Captain Ted Spurling Sr. of Little Cranberry Island, Maine, the navigator who most inspires me and to whom this site is dedicated. He wrote, "This nautical poem by Mr. E. Plumstead, an ardent defender of lunar observations, was taken from a popular old English navigation book titled Wrinkles by S.T.S. Lecky, master mariner, it being the 2oth edition...This book was given to me nearly fifty years ago by a cousin, Captain Tom Kelley, of West Tremont, on Mount Desert Island, Maine." There was a time when Parallax and dear old Mrs. Moon Were understood by seamen, and esteemed a precious boon. Then Wrinkles came; Edition Nine burst forth mid jubilation, Waxed fat and kicked, and then ensued the following conversation: "Pack up! Clear out!" said Wrinkles, "Take notice now, and mind, Both Parallax and you to Coventry we've consigned." "Who's We?" retorted Mrs. Moon, "I've never heard such fudge; Are you the We? Have I no friends? Are you the only judge?" "You've hit it off," said Wrinkles, "I am the We, far famed: You've lost your ancient following, of your conduct they're ashamed, Except a few 'Old Timers,' who from sundry dark recesses Sing your praises in the papers, have no names, give no addresses." "That's rather neat," replied the Moon, "But will you have the kindness Just to state the cause of this revolt, and why this modern blindness To the virtues that I still possess? Explain the situation. What has blighted all my virtues? Who has spoiled my reputation?" "Where have you been? What have you learned?" said Wrinkles, "Don't you know What happened here - it must be near a century ago? You've heard of Sextant, Compass, Log, Mercurial Barometer; Tremble! a goddess has been born. We've christened her Chronometer. "Behold my love, is she not fair? so strong, so plump, so pliable." "All Tommy Rot," replied the Moon, "I'll bet she's not reliable." "Alas!" said Wrinkles, "I know that; for has it not been noted, http://www.celestialnavigation.net/wrinkles.htm (1 of 2) [9/6/2004 12:50:46 PM] July To her most eccentric conduct my best chapter's been devoted? "Had you but read what I have said on her merits and demerits In Chapter Four, not for one hour would you maintain your spirits; Could I but show you Wrinkles your appearance would cease, You'd for ever hide your 'bloomin' cheek,' for ever hold your peace." "Of Wrinkles, sir," replied the Moon, "we've several copies here; But the chapter headed Lunars is the one we hold most dear. With equal care we've read them both; compared our notes and reckoned. No mortal who believed the first could understand the second. "Tis just about twelve months ago, I said to some inquirers, 'You had no power to banish me, I still had some admirers.' Adieu! dear boy. I'm off. Good night. To Coventry? No! Never! Let 'Wrinkles' come, Chronometers go, but I go on for ever." • Home • Why Celestial Navigation? • History • Navigational Astronomy• The Theory • The Practice • Celnav in the Classroom • Vikings • Navigational Instruments • Wayfinding • Schools • Quotations • Resources • Dante • Other Links • Webmistress • http://www.celestialnavigation.net/wrinkles.htm (2 of 2) [9/6/2004 12:50:46 PM] Recent Additions Recent Additions NEW!!! The "Land and Sea Collection" is the source for fine quality ship and aircraft models, vintage ships clocks, polished brass nautica, shipbuilders plates, marine antiques, and is the largest seller of used and pre- owned marine sextants on the internet. I checked out this site and it was awesome! See it at http://www.landandseacollection.com/ Starpath School of Navigation has a new celestial navigation course that you can do online. This is the same course that taught me everything I know, but with updated materials. I have received the materials and they are even better than the ones I used. Click on the link for the Starpath home page. http://www.celestialnavigation.net/new.htm (1 of 4) [9/6/2004 12:50:51 PM] Recent Additions New book on Viking Navigation by Leif K. Karlsen: Secrets of the Viking Navigators NEW BOOK by Peter Ifland and Michel Vanvaerenbergh: Line of Position Navigation: Sumner and Saint-Hilaire, The Two Pillars of Modern Celestial Navigation New link for Palm Pilot Celnav Program http://www.celestialnavigation.net/new.htm (2 of 4) [9/6/2004 12:50:51 PM] Recent Additions Celestaire's Cardboard Sextant Kit Omar Reis's Interactive Sextant on the "Instruments" Page; also his "Build Your Own Sextant" on the "Classroom" Page. Sight Worksheets on Reader page AstroNav PC and Compact Data and other SOFTWARE is at the bottom of the "Practice" page. Sail the Sounds Celestial Navigation Course on "Schools" page. Bowditch's American Practical Navigator - Now with Tables!! On "Practice" and "Classroom" pages. David Thompson and Land Navigation (19th century America) on "Classroom" Page. Pocket Stars PC Program - Integrated Star Chart, Ephemeris, and Celestial Navigation Software for the Pocket PC Bowditch Initiative Website - Nathaniel Bowditch on "Classroom" page. Nova's Shockwave Game on Finding Your Latitude on "Classroom" Page Navigating Around the World By Observing the Sun on "Classroom" page How A Sextant Works and Navigating by Sextant on the "Instruments" page How Columbus and Apollo Astronauts Navigated on "Classroom" page Celestial Navigation for Dummies on "Practice" ASNAv and Delta Win on "Practice" The Abaco Wild Horse Fund on "Other Links" page "The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories" on "Other Links" Helmer Aslaksen's page on Cultural Astronomy - See "Other Links" and also Astronomy page http://www.celestialnavigation.net/new.htm (3 of 4) [9/6/2004 12:50:51 PM] Recent Additions for comment on the java applets Helmer has available. Aboriginal (Native American) Astronomy - See "Classroom" page Ed Falk's Sample Page from the Silicon Sea Series (say that three times fast!) - See "Practice" Page African Star Lore - "Classroom" page Longitude at Sea, from the Galileo Project - "Classroom" page Astronomy without a Telescope - "Astronomy" and "Classroom" David Thompson and Land Navigation - "Classroom" Civil and Nautical Twilight; Sunrise Set, Moonrise and Set Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe - "Instruments" page - "Instruments" page Peter Ifland's lecture, THE HISTORY OF THE SEXTANT - "Instruments" Celestial Themes in Art and Architecture at Dartmouth - "Dante" page • Home • Why Celestial Navigation? • History • Navigational Astronomy• The Theory • The Practice • Celnav in the Classroom • Vikings • Navigational Instruments • Wayfinding • Schools • Quotations • Resources • Dante • Other Links • Webmistress • http://www.celestialnavigation.net/new.htm (4 of 4) [9/6/2004 12:50:51 PM] Search by keywords A Message from the Webmistress FIRST: I have changed my email address to webmistress2 at celestialnavigation.net. Put in the "at" symbol for the word "at." obviously! People have been getting emails with viruses attached that APPEAR to be from me, but I am actually the victim of a return address highjack. This kind of virus goes on to someone's system, then sends emails that appear to be FROM someone who is in their address book. So someone out there with the original webmistress address needs to update their virus software ASAP! SECOND: It is with great sorrow that I report that Captain Ted Spurling Sr., to whom this site is dedicated and without whom it would not have existed, died earlier this year. It is he who gave me the poem in defense of lunars, "Wrinkles." Captain Spurling was the kindest and most interesting man on the Maine island I call my second home, with many, many years of experience in celestial navigation.