This is theoretically possible, but they would be very fast moving compared to natural celestial objects and you would need ephemeris data for them. Your timing would have to be very precise, but hey all that is exactly what GPS does :-)
Eric Haberfellner cnc-list@cnc-list.com writes: >You *could* get a fix with a sextant from the GPS satellites if you could >see them. I am not sure, but they might be too small to pick up with the >naked eye. You can see the ISS if the sun hits it right. You could get an >LOP from that if anyone worked out a table for it. > >*in real life, even if they were easy to see, the speed would make getting >an accurate shot timed just perfect pretty hard to do. > > > >Joe Della Barba > > > >From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Ronald B. >Frerker >Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 10:31 AM >To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com >Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant > > > > >The sextant is comparable to a hand saw and chisel these days, but as >pointed out, the use and study of celestial nav allows one to understand the >whole concept of nav with celestial objects, which is the basis of GPS. In >the case of GPS, the celestial objects are manmade satellites. > > > > >Ron > > > > >Wild Cheri > > > > >C&C 30 > > > > >STL > > > > > > > > > > >--- On Sun, 1/27/13, Antoine Rose <[ mailto:antoine.r...@videotron.ca >]antoine.r...@videotron.ca> wrote: > > >From: Antoine Rose <[ mailto:antoine.r...@videotron.ca >]antoine.r...@videotron.ca> >Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant >To: [ mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com ]cnc-list@cnc-list.com >Date: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 9:43 PM > > > > >Hi Chuck, > > > > >You're absolutely right, sextant will eventually be seen only in museums. A >good fix with a sextant will give you a position within half a mile margin >of error, if all goes very well. One have to wait four hours between two >fixes (one in the morning followed by the one in the afternoon with an >optional noon fix). None of that compare to the precision of a GPS. In my >crossings, I had three GPS (handheld, one connected to the laptop and the >AIS). The sextant was really to have fun and practice during leisure time. > > > > >Having learned the hard way thirty years ago how to navigate in fog and >currents on the St-Lawrence River with only a deep-sounder and a compass, >I'm not interested in going back. > > > > > > > > > >However, learning how to use a sextant gives you more than a position, it >gives you knowledge of how celestial and earth movements intersect and also >gives you a deeper appreciation for our predecessors. Even if it's only >about intellectual curiosity, I feel it's worth it. > > > > >The Astra IIIb is supposed to be a fine and affordable sextant. Actually, if >you look at it, it looks very much like a chinese copy of the Cassens & >Plath. I personally have two Freiberger, mostly because I tend to collect >beautiful nautical objects. > > > > > > > > > >Antoine (C&C 30 Cousin) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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