Engine mounting height
Navigating with the stars – (part 1)
Engine mounting height
Navigating with the stars – (part 1)
By Thomas P.

Focusing on Polaris.
Polaris, the brightest and last star on the «tail» of the Little Bear, does not unintentionally constitute a point of reference for navigation. It is really worth seeing a bit more analytically its position in the celestial dome because its unique characteristics are exactly due to this position.

We know that all the stars of the celestial dome, which are exactly above us, as well as the Sun and the Moon, rise, culminate and set during 24 hours. This «phenomenal» movement in the sky is mainly due to the rotation of the Earth. Actually, because the Earth rotates from the west to the east, the sky and consequently all celestial bodies look as if they rotate reversely. So, it seems that they carry out a complete circle every 24 hours and they are, therefore, in the same time at the same point. This, of course, in reality is the result of a complete rotation of the Earth within 24 hours, since it is only the Earth that revolves and not the stars.

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Navigating with the stars – (part 2)
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