OICNW-1-1G

Measure the altitude of at least 3 stars

Function: Navigation at the operational level

Competence Knowledge, Understanding & Proficiency Task

Plan and conduct a passage and determine position

A1.01 Celestial Navigation

Ability to use celestial bodies to determine the ship’s position

Measure the altitude of at least 3 stars

Assessed in: MT-4371 Sea Term IV Deck

Condition

Aboard a ship at sea, given a standard marine sextant, a clear horizon, a clear or partly cloudy sky, and an accurate time, during a single twilight.

Behavior

Measure the altitude of three stars and accurately record the times of the observation of each star.

Standard

  1. The altitude is within ± 0.5 minutes of arc, after correction for index error, as compared with the altitude measured by the assessor at the same time; and,
  2. The time is within ± 2 seconds of UTC at the time of observation as determined by the assessor.