NavList:

I see Frank's Lunars Workshop notice.  Good timing and not by accident I'm sure. I’m sure he calculates workshop opportunities for field practice, weather permitting. April 21 and 22nd brings a waxing crescent moon, one of the easiest day-time sun-moon lunar shots. And there are evening moon-Venus and moon-Regulus or Pollux possibilities too.

I took an early version of this workshop several years ago and found it the richest navigation and history experience yet.

By happen chance, members of a local astronomy club had asked me to speak at their monthly
meeting.  They knew of my interest but had never hear of "Lunars", imagine. Much of it is easy to talk about since the audience is 'celestially literate'. And having taken many lunars myself and used classic clearing methods (a workshop benefit) on my calculator, I have many examples to point to.

I’m anticipating two questions from this audience: 1) why lunars today and 2) can I do something with my telescope, I don't have a sextant.

Attached is a compendium of views about Why Lunars Today matter. Mostly, they are not mine but points of view of NavListers or navigation book authors. Just query the NavList archive and you will see how rich the dialog is. They have something to say. It's worth listning. I posted a similar list a while back but I'm reposting because you may see the Lunars Workshop announcement and many wonder why you should be interested.

On the telescope question, I don't have a good answer.

Ed Popko