Celestial Navigation: Classical Era

What is celestial navigation?

• Using a compass to navigate on land

• Using the stars and planets to determine one's position on the globe

• Using GPS to determine one's position

• Using road signs to navigate on highways

What did the altitude of the sun at noon help determine for sailors?

• Distance to the nearest island

• Time of day

• Longitude of the ship

• Latitude of the ship

What was the purpose of the mariner's astrolabe used in the Mediterranean?

• To measure wind speed

• To communicate with other ships

• To locate the Qibla for Muslim travelers

• To determine the ship's position

What did Polynesian navigators use to divide the sky into quadrants for navigation at night?

• Star compass

• Sextant

• Astrolabe

• Magnetic compass

What did the Earth's axis point towards, helping navigators determine north?

• Hokupa'a (North Star)

• Polaris

• Sirius

• Venus

What natural phenomenon did navigators use to identify direction by the rocking motion of their canoes?

• Cloud formations

• Bird migrations

• Ocean swells

• Magnetic fields

What did navigators use to estimate where south is when the North Star was not visible?

• Orion

• Pira‘atea

• Newe (Southern Cross)

• Ursa Major

What did navigators use to indicate landmasses under the right conditions?

• Ocean currents

• Magnetic fields

• Clouds

• Stars

What helped navigators determine the proximity of land as they neared their destination?

• Flight patterns of birds

• Cloud formations

• Magnetic fields

• Ocean currents

What did the ancient Polynesians use to complete a worldwide voyage in 2017?

• Hokulea

• Sextant

• GPS

• Magnetic compass