Celestial Navigation Software

 
 

* Beta version. Not for actual navigation.

Change Log

 

Excel Almanac (Beta v0.3.6)

  • Perpetual almanac displays basic data necessary for celestial navigation

  • Sky chart showing traditional navigation bodies above the horizon

  • Option to show all 1,535 stars in the basic FK5 catalogue

  • Option to show the celestial equator and/or ecliptic

  • Printable list of celestial bodies above the horizon

  • Data series calculator for comparison/analysis

  • Rise, set, transit and nautical twilight calculator

  • DR and sight reduction calculator

  • Position log

  • Great circle route calculator including internal database of 26,571 cities worldwide

  • Internal delta-T values for dates between 500 BC and AD 2035

  • Custom delta-T value fields for dates outside the above range

  • Only 3.9MB

  • * Verified to run on current versions of Microsoft Excel only *

 

PostScript Plotting Sheets v4

  • Generates precise plotting sheets for any latitude/longitude

  • Customizable … turn the following features on or off:

    • Compass

    • Center latitude/longitude lines

    • Upper/lower latitude lines

    • Meridians

    • Latitude scale

    • Longitude scale

  • Can be used for plotting LOPs, radar contacts, solving maneuvering problems, etc.

  • Designed for use with U.S. Letter sized paper

  • Can be edited with any text editor, including Notepad

  • Recommended programs for editing/printing:


Coordinates.gif

Declination?

SHA?

What does that mean?

The meanings of the terms used in celestial navigation literature aren’t always obvious. Here is a brief explanation of the coordinates used to describe the position of a star or other celestial body.


XerxesEclipse2.gif

Herodotus tells us there was an eclipse on October 2nd, 480 BC.

This animation shows the topocentric altitudes and azimuths calculated by my spreadsheet. The altitude of the Moon is corrected for parallax using the calculated distance from the Earth to the Moon. The location is in the middle of the Sahara.