Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-k7rjm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-19T06:29:06.198Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Attainment of Precision in Celestial Navigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2010

Robert B. Gordon
Robert B. Gordon
Affiliation:
(Department of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

There are two approaches to the study of errors in astronomical observations at sea. One is to collect as much information as one can from practising navigators; the other, described here, is to carry out controlled experiments with the object of breaking down the various causes of error, a virtually impossible task if the first approach is adopted. In both cases a large mass of data must be carefully studied and analysed, and this is particularly important where one aims to resolve the errors into separate components (those due to dip uncertainties, horizon, body, degree of twilight, and sea state).

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , April 1964 , pp. 125 - 147
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 1964

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

1Smiley, C. H. (1951). The accuracy of observations made with marine sextants, Navigation (Los Angeles) 2; 342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Peterson, B. Chr. (1952). Some observations of refraction at low altitudes and of astronomical position-line accuracy. This Journal, 5, 31.Google Scholar
3Harding, G. H. (1954). The accuracy of astronomical observations at sea. This Journal, 7, 195.Google Scholar
4Parker, J. B. and Sadler, D. H. (1954). The Barcoo observations. This Journal, 7, 317.Google Scholar
5 Anon. (1957). The accuracy of astronomical observations at sea. This journal, 10, 223.Google Scholar
6Shufeldt, H. H. (1962). Precision celestial navigation experiments. This Journal, 15, 301.Google Scholar
7Sadler, D. H. (1962). Preface to the above article.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Smiley, C. H. (1949). High altitudes in surface navigation, Navigation (Los Angeles) 2, 11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9 Anon. (1958). American Practical Navigator, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
10Bomford, G. (1962). Geodesy, Oxford University Press, p. 265.Google Scholar