We are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new informational website! After many months of hard work, we are delighted to officially announce the launch. The new website uses responsive design to provide ease of use on mobile…
Sextants have been used by sailors for centuries, and NASA's Sextant Navigation for Exploration Missions (Sextant Navigation) investigation takes the Celestaire Astra III Professional Marine Sextant to Space. In this clip is the Celestaire Astra III Professional Marine Sextant modified with 7x35 Prism Telescope. The Sextant Navigation for…
Many people say that buying image stabilizing (IS) binoculars ranks among the top 3 most important things they have ever bought for their boats. You will see buoys, radar contacts, and navigational hazards much farther away than with non-stabilized models.…
The Astra IIIB has been made for us in China since 1986 and it is produced in accordance with our specific quality guidelines. It has somewhat revolutionized celestial navigation because never before has such a high quality, accurate metal sextant…
FOR ELECTRONIC BACK-UP GPS is wonderful. World-wide coverage and reasonably priced receivers (both installed and handheld) contribute to maritime safety through accurate positioning of vessels. Yet, some back-up is needed. Instances of electronic failure, total electric failure, lightning strike, and…
1. Imagine that the sun is directly overhead at a particular time. Then we simply look into the Nautical Almanac to find out where the sun is; and that is where we are!
A sextant is an instrument generally used to measure the altitude of a celestial object above the horizon. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight. The angle, and the time when it was…
The first choice to make is between plastic or metal construction. Today's low cost metal sextants offer high accuracy and ease of use. These reward the beginner's efforts, and satisfy the professional's demands. Plastic models are perfect for lifeboat provisioning,and…
"Sight reduction", is a term given to the way a sextant sight is transformed into a line of position on a chart. It is what the so called "math" concerning celestial navigation is all about. The simplest method of sight…
Beginners typically ask which plotting tools they need. It’s a good question, because the available range of tool types is greater than one would likely need. For example, parallel rules, rolling plotters, course plotters, triangles and plotting board pantographs all…