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Planetarium Courses & Workshops

Celestial Navigation: 19th-Century Methods

Frank Reed, instructor
Founder of the Frank Reed School of Navigation, www.fer3.com

A two-day weekend class devoted to the history and practice of celestial navigation as it was done aboard the whaling vessel Charles W. Morgan during the second half of the 19th century.

Students will learn details of the practical techniques, both the sight-taking methods and the mathematics, of navigation using the Sun and stars aboard 19th century sailing vessels. The instructor, who has extensively studied the navigation methods in the surviving logbooks of Mystic Seaport's whaleship Charles W. Morgan, will recount some of the history of the whaling voyages and teach students exactly how the Sun and Moon were used to navigate in the 19th century. The Charles W. Morgan, currently undergoing an extensive three-year restoration, is not only the centerpiece of Mystic Seaport's collection, but also a prototypical whaling vessel of the 19th century. The celestial navigation methods used aboard the Charles W. Morgan were typical of most American whaling vessels in this period. After this class, students will have in-hand the practical skills of 19th century navigation, fun and useful for practical navigators, navigation enthusiasts, as well as the professional or armchair historian.

This class is appropriate for adults as well as younger students with good basic math skills. If you can add and subtract, you can do celestial navigation. A basic understanding of latitude and longitude are the only prerequisites for this class. Traditional 19th century celestial navigation occasionally uses technical astronomical and mathematical terminology like right ascension and
logsecant, but have no fear, all of these will be explained.

Students will learn how to take and clear a meridian latitude sight for "latitude by Noon Sun", the single most important sight in the history of celestial navigation. Students will also learn how to take and clear a "time sight" or "longitude by chronometer" sight which was the workaday method of 19th century navigation. Students will also be taught basic sight-taking procedures using an actual 19th century brass sextant or ebony octant from the instructor's personal collection.

This class isn't just "about" navigation. You will walk away with the skills to do it yourself. A student who completes this two-day course will be proficient in the basic skills of 19th century celestial navigation and could successfully navigate across an ocean today, with a good dose of luck, using these historical methods. Students will also have an understanding of the navigation of the Charles W. Morgan, as it was actually done, as seen in the primary source evidence of the surviving logbooks.

DAY ONE: two three-hour sessions. Topics covered: Noon Sun, 19th century approaches to Noon Sun sights, latitude sailing, the essential aspects of finding longitude, navigation on the Charles W. Morgan's maiden voyage 1841-45 as understood from the logbooks. An opportunity to take actual sights, weather-permitting.

DAY TWO: two three-hour sessions. Topics covered: review of altitude corrections, applies to latitude and longitude sights. Clearing a time sight using simple tables, how to practice 19th century navigation in the 21st century, the limitations of these methods and their relationship to modern navigation, navigation on the Charles W. Morgan's last 19th century voyage as understood from the logbooks, an opportunity for sight-taking, weather-permitting.

Introduction to Coastal Navigation

R. M. "Max" Maxwell, instructor
Manager, Treworgy Planetarium

This three-day workshop will provide an introduction to latitude and longitude, nautical chart symbols, hands-on plotting of courses and bearings, the magnetic compass, magnetic and true directions, determining the state of the tide and tidal current, sailing with tidal currents, and some basics of electronic navigation. Charts will be provided.

Navigation instruments will be available for use during the class, and charts will be provided. If you have your own instruments, by all means bring them. If you do not have any, do not purchase any until after the first class.

Easy Introductory Celestial Navigation by Noon Sun

(Day ONE is Latitude By the Noon Sun Using a Sextant)

Frank Reed, instructor
Founder of the Frank Reed School of Navigation, www.fer3.com

A two-day weekend class (second day optional) teaching how to use a sextant and how to find latitude AND longitude using simple observations of the altitude of the Sun at noon. This is a modern technique based on classical celestial navigation. It is ideal as a GPS backup. It is also fashioned for the sextant enthusiast interested in using the instrument to get a real position fix without the time and expense of a ten-week course. This is a method of celestial navigation that is easily learned and easily re-learned. Like riding a bike, once you've learned it, you can pick it up again, either in an emergency situation or just for fun with just a few minutes' work.

Students will learn how to use and adjust a sextant. We will also provide advice on buying sextants on ebay and elsewhere and how to avoid "counterfeit" sextants. Students will learn how to get latitude and longitude using sights at, and around, local noon. You will also learn how to correct for vessel motion, a critical detail frequently omitted in well-known textbooks and other resources. This class isn't "meta" navigation (not a class "about" navigation); it's real navigation. Students will take away the knowledge and the skills to navigate using sextant observations of the Sun at noon almost anywhere on Earth. A good backup for that rare day when the GPS (and
the backup GPS) fail.

DAY ONE: two three-hour sessions. Topics covered: the behavior of the Sun at noon and its connection with navigation, use and adjustment of a marine sextant, latitude by the Noon Sun. Practice with sextants, sight-taking opportunity (weather permitting).

DAY TWO: two three-hour sessions. Topics covered: altitude corrections required for accurate latitude, longitude by sights around noon and statistical issues. Correcting for vessel motion, essential for a proper fix. Practice with sextants, sight-taking opportunity (weather permitting).

This class is appropriate for adults as well as younger students with basic math skills. If you can add and subtract, you can do celestial navigation. A basic understanding of latitude and longitude are the only prerequisites for this class.

Essentials of Marine Meteorology: Levels I & II

Lee Chesneau, instructor
Founder of Lee Chesneau's Marine Weather, www.marineweatherbylee.com

* A Certificate of Completion from Lee Chesneau's Marine Weather is awarded upon successful completion of the course.

Day 1

• Course Introduction and Social

Day 2

• Overview of how weather works: The atmosphere and principles of how clouds form; observing cloud types and what they mean to a mariner.
• Basic review of pressure and wind concepts.
• The surface weather map: An overview of surface weather systems (lows, fronts, and troughs; highs and ridges). Warning labels and wind barbs and other surface chart symbols as depicted on Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) and Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) marine surface weather maps.

Day 3

• Local weather phenomenon. (emphasizing the Gulf Stream, racing strategies, and Gulf Stream North Wall episodes).
• Introduction to upper air weather charts & their uses; 500 Mb basics & their integration with surface weather maps for forecasting and introductory routing and heavy weather avoidance.
• Introduction to sea & swell wave formation, propagation & decay concepts. Overview of OPC and TPC wind & wave analyses and forecast charts.
• Tropical Cyclone basics and the 1-2-3 rule for avoidance.
• Navigating for your weather information; where to access weather information while at sea from the public domain.
• Reinforcement review questions and application exercises will be administered to ensure that the objectives of upper charts as they relate to surface marine weather charts are properly interpreted and read. Review handout material will be provided at the end of the session to compliment notes taken as well as reinforcement exercises.

Navigation Weekend: Advanced Topics in Traditional Navigation

R. M. "Max" Maxwell and Frank Reed, coordinators

A weekend gathering of navigators and navigation enthusiasts, Navigation Weekend: Advanced Topics... is devoted to the practice, history, and future of traditional navigation methods focusing on advanced and unusual techniques in celestial navigation. This program is sponsored by the NavList online community, as well as the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport. Some support provided by Frank Reed, founder of the Frank Reed School of Navigation.

Scheduled to run from the afternoon of Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6, 2010, this will be our third biennial gathering at Mystic Seaport (previously held in June, 2006 and 2008). Events will include multimedia presentations and lectures as well as practical sight-taking. Past topics have included longitude by lunar distance observations, mathematics of position fixes, practical techniques for testing sextants, navigation education at sea, navigation education at Harvard University, astronomical history, modern experiments in desert navigation, developments in navigational computer software, navigation by observations of artificial satellites, and more. In addition, the weekend will include some social events, including a Saturday dinner in Mystic with a special presentation (food and beverage is at the participant's expense). For information on past Navigation Weekends, visit www.fer3.com/Mystic2006 and www.fer3.com/Mystic2008.

The fee for attendance for the entire Navigation Weekend is $10 for Mystic Seaport Members and those who have paid full admission to the museum; $35 for those who are not members or have not paid admission. Presenters and members of the press are exempt from the attendance fee. Please email Frank Reed at FrankReed@HistoricalAtlas.com to confirm your attendance. Also note, we are still open for presentations for the Navigation Weekend. Please contact Frank Reed if you would like us to consider your topic for presentation.

* The fee for attendance for the entire Navigation Weekend is $10 for Mystic Seaport Members and those who have paid full admission to the museum; $35 for those who are not members or have not paid admission.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made up to 30 days prior to the start of a course will receive a refund less an administrative fee of 25% of the course cost. Cancellations made 15 to 29 days prior to the start of a course will receive a refund less an administrative fee of 50% of the course cost. No refund will be given if canceled within 14 days of the course.

Star of Bethlehem Planetarium Show

Sunday before Christmas - Noon, 1 and 2 p.m.
Explore the splendor of the winter skies in this fascinating show that merges science, mythology, religious observance, winter traditions and music. The program is suitable for ages six and up. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early.

Special Group Planetarium Programs

Year Round

Have a specific topic in mind? Gather a group and let us know what you would like to learn. We seek to support your curriculum or special interests. Here are a few course possibilities:

Stars of a Voyage to Freedom (Amistad)

Stars and Navigation of the Great Explorers

Stars and Constellations of the Current Season's Sky

To discuss program content possibilities, please call 860.572.5302, ext. 5151, or email planetarium@mysticseaport.org.

To make a reservation, please call 860.572.5322 or email reservations.desk@mysticseaport.org.

Click here for registration form. Fax it to 860-572-5398.

All courses are held in the Planetarium's Susan Peterson Howell Memorial Classroom. For more information on any of these programs, please visit www.mysticseaport.org/planetarium, call 860.572.5322 or email education@mysticseaport.org.

Discover these other great community programs and classes for kids of all ages:

Learn the arts, crafting and music of mariners from long ago: Smithing, Scrimshaw, and Open Hearth Cooking.

Or perhaps Boat Building and Design is more for you? Try Intro to Half-Model Construction, Traditional Boatbuilding, and Varnishing Techniques for Traditional Boats.