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--- bruce hamilton  wrote:

> Last night, I could get a reading from a single star through a
> single whole in the clouds.  My star identification skills are
> still poor, and those circumstances were beyond me. Is there a
> quick and dirty way to take that single observation and find what
> star I was looking at using the observation, an Almanac a watch and
> calculator?

Not to criticize your technique here (and if it works for what you want
to do, there's certainly nothing wrong with that...), but you're almost
going about it "backwards".

Usually you'll pre-compute elevations and azimuths of stars *before*
doing the sights, and then point the sextant accordingly (it's usually
pretty obvious what star you're looking for, just look for the
brightest object in the sextant's field of view... ;-)).

Vol. 1 of Pub. 249 works really good for this - they've already done
the hard work for you, all you need is LHA Aries for the time of the
sights. From that it gives you a group of seven stars pre-selected for
your shooting pleasure - even has the 3 that give the best "cut" for a
fix marked with diamonds, and 1st magnitude stars are listed in ALL
CAPS.

--
GregR


--- bruce hamilton  wrote:

>
> I just received an A-10 that I got for cheap on E-bay. Well, most of
> one
> as is is missing the averaging mechanism, but as I plan to use it
> with
> my feet firmly planted on the ground, I don't need that bit. I also
> managed to coax a bubble out of it too.  I must say that it is the
> best
> thing for us urban dwellers with no horizon handy. I might get a
> calibrated A-12 next as I love the concept. Put the body in the
> center
> of the bubble and I have a reading. Very nice! I am a bubble sextant
> fan
> now.
>
> I have one question for someone who has used one (A-10) before. What
> is
> the use of the frosted glass that swings over the top of the bubble
> column? Mine has some faint lines on it, but it seems to me that if
> the
> body is in the bubble, no other reference is needed.  As well, it
> seems
> to me if I peek to the left of the view, I could see a natural
> horizon,
> if I had one. Is this possible or a pipe dream?
>
> Another question. Last night, I could get a reading from a single
> star
> through a single whole in the clouds.  My star identification skills
> are
> still poor, and those circumstances were beyond me. Is there a quick
> and
> dirty way to take that single observation and find what star I was
> looking at using the observation, an Almanac a watch and calculator?
> I
> think I found the star in the site plan section of Celest Nav on my
> palm
> pilot, but I would like to be able to do it without.
>
> Thank You
>
> Bruce Hamilton
> Vancouver, BC
>
>
>
> >
>


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