To Register:
Download Form:
Fax to 860.572.5398
Call:
860.572.5322
Email:
reservations.desk
@mysticseaport.org
Special Group
Planetarium Programs
Available 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. A few course possibilities include: Stars of a Voyage to Freedom (Amistad), Stars and Navigation of the Great Explorers, and Stars and Constellations of the Current Season's Sky.
To discuss program content possibilities, call 860.572.5302, ext. 5151, or email planetarium@mysticseaport.org.
Planetarium Navigation and Weather Courses
The Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport offers daily programs to acquaint Museum visitors with the stars, planets, and constellations of the nighttime sky. These programs help visitors understand how mariners use the sun and stars to determine directions and position at sea. In addition, the Planetarium offers a variety of classes including coastal and celestial navigation and GPS workshops for both adults and youths. Learn more about the Planetarium's current course offerings below.
Introduction to Coastal Navigation
| Date | Time | Days | Cost |
| May 4, 18, and June 1, 2013 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Saturdays | $120 / $95 member |
Instructor: R.M. Maxwell
Where: Susan Peterson Howell Memorial Classroom of the Treworgy Planetarium
This three-day workshop will provide a hands-on approach to determining your position using charts and features in the water and ashore, including an introduction to latitude and longitude; interpretation of nautical chart symbols; chart height and depth information; plotting courses and bearings; computing speed, time, and distance; and basic planning for a passage. Charts will be provided; navigation instruments will be available for use during class, and for loan. 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.
Direction by Magnetic Compass
| Date | Time | Days | Cost |
| June 8, 2013 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Saturday | $50 / $45 member |
Instructor: R.M. Maxwell
Where: Susan Peterson Howell Memorial Classroom of the Treworgy Planetarium
About: This day-long workshop will teach the student to understand the earth's magnetic field and its influence on the compass; determine magnetic variation and deviation; switch among true, magnetic, and "compass" directions; prepare and use a Deviation Card; and will provide basic instructions for adjusting the ship's compass.
Tides and Tidal Currents
| Date | Time | Days | Cost |
| June 15, 2013 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Saturday | $50 / $45 member |
Instructor: R.M. Maxwell
Where: Susan Peterson Howell Memorial Classroom of the Treworgy Planetarium
About: This day-long workshop will provide an understanding of the celestial and geographic causes of tides; general tidal timing and local variations; determining the state of the tide and tidal current; and boating with tidal currents.
Easy Introductory Celestial Navigation: Latitude and Longitude by Noon Sun
| Date | Time | Days | Cost |
| June 15-16, 2013 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Sat. & Sun. | $95 / $85 member |
Instructor: Frank Reed, reednavigation.com
Where: Munson Room
About: A two-day class in the basic principles of celestial navigation from a modern perspective designed especially for yachtsmen and recreational boaters, but also appropriate for anyone interested in a quick introduction to celestial navigation. Celestial navigation is the ultimate backup when the electronics fail, and it is a tradition that connects us with maritime history. Students will learn how to adjust and use sextants available on the market today. This class covers the classic, time-honored method of finding latitude by the noon sun, as well as finding longitude by observations of the sun before and after noon (including frequently neglected corrections for statistics and the motion of the observer). Weather permitting, students will be able to measure the sun's altitude around noon (from a nearby shore location) to determine latitude and longitude. This is real navigation, not just a class "about" navigation. Fast and intense, students who complete this weekend class will have the basic celestial navigation skills to cross any ocean using the sun, a sextant, and a few other simple tools.
Requirements: good, basic arithmetic skills, but nothing beyond addition and subtraction. A familiarity with the basic geometry of angles, including degrees and minutes of arc. A familiarity with 24-hour time (16:00 is 4:00 p.m.). A good understanding of latitude and longitude on the globe.
Lunars: Finding Longitude by Observing the Moon
| Date | Time | Days | Cost |
| July 13-14, 2013 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Sat. & Sun. | $95 / $85 member |
Instructor: Frank Reed, reednavigation.com
Where: Munson Room
An intermediate level class in the famous method of finding longitude by lunar distances, usually known for short as "lunars." Lunars were widely used at sea in the early 19th century in the era before chronometers became common. By observing the position of the moon relative to the sun or stars, navigators used the moon as a great natural clock in the sky. From James Cook and Nathaniel Bowditch to Joshua Slocum, lunars were a challenge that proved a navigator's skill. Students in this class will learn the details of adjusting a sextant properly for shooting lunars, tricks for taking accurate sights, and easy methods for clearing these famously difficult observations. We'll also talk about some of the interesting mathematics and astronomical theories that made lunars possible. For a modern celestial navigator or navigation enthusiast, there is no better test of your sextant and observing skills. Weather permitting, students will have opportunities to take actual lunar observations, determining their longitude in the great tradition of Cook and Bowditch and Slocum.
Requirements: an introductory course or equivalent in the use of a sextant and other basic concepts of celestial navigation. High school level math skills and a basic familiarity with trigonometry are recommended.
Registration and Cancellation Policy
To make a reservation: please call 860.572.5322 or email reservations.desk@mysticseaport.org. Download a registration form and fax it to 860.572.5398. For more information, call 860.572.5322 or email education@mysticseaport.org.
Cancellations: a cancellation 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.