Thanks for posting that! I’ve always enjoyed looking up at the night sky and learning about the constellations. In fact, I’ve had a great time using a program I found called Stellarium which can basically paint a picture of what your sky should look like from any point on Earth at any date or time.

I would like to ask you if you can give any more details about the third method you posted. I am familiar with the first method, using Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), and I am familiar with Cassiopeia (the ‘W’). I am not familiar with your “kite” however, and I cannot seem to figure out which constellations/stars you’re looking at.

AARRGGHH..My head hurts.

Who knew that it was so involved simply to pinpoint your exact position on a rotating sphere hurtling through space??

I love my gps even more now...


DLR

Dude, that was beautiful!

To add my own two cents, here is a link to an easy to make "star clock". It'll tell you what time it is if you can see the stars. Conversly, if you know what time it is you can use it to find the stars (hint: look up ). Someday I'm going to make a tiny one that I can hang around my neck.

Star Clock

-Blast

CelNav is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Yes, I have navigated by celnav at sea.
1st, a disclaimer, I had to learn celnav in order to make QM1 (E-6) in the USCG. The problem that I encountered (and so has most every other person), reading the theory does nothing to help you translate theory into the practical art of finding your location. I (and most others), had someone who was knowledgable, walk us through the first 3 fixes and then left us on our own. After you have laid down the tenth fix (or thereabouts), SUDDENLY, the light bulb goes off, and you now understand what all that gobbleygook theory was trying to tell you!!!!!!
I recommend "The American Practical Navigator" by Nathaniel Bowditch as far as trying to learn the theory and the steps required to ascertain a position.
The best way is still to set sail and have someone walk you through the process, the pubs required, and the charting. 20 mile accuracy is acceptable for celnav (I actually maintained a 5 mile accuracy), for sun lines and star plots.
If you learn how to work out a position, be ready to experience a very strong MENTAL orgasm, That's the only way I can describe the feeling that I get when I do a good fix!

The "kite" that he is talking about is, My guess, Scorpio.

Just as the Big Dipper lets you find the North Star, The scabbard on Orion's belt, always points South

Thanks Micah,

Just the kind of barebones info I was looking for. Printing out now.

Thank you for that! It does appear that three stars in the “tail” (ζ2, μ1 [Denebakrab], and ε [Wei]) appear to point to Polaris while three stars in the “claws” (π [Vrischika], δ [Dschubba], and β1 [Acrab]) appear to make the diagonal line in front. Good catch!

Another constellation in the northern sky that also looks like a kite is: Cygnus, the swan. Come to think of it, that's what he is most likely talking about.

Hmm. I don't know what "kite" is representing either, despite of my 25 years of amateur astronomy experience, and 100% knowledge of the night sky It's not Scorpio or Orion, for sure. Most likely a combination of several constellations. I'm very intrigued, what is that?

But where is the Deneb and Vega then? The brightest stars near that place? If Deneb is the topmost star in the "kite" then the bottom star is Eta Cygnus, it's way too faint. It doesn't have even a proper name.