celestial navigation

noun

1. navigation by means of observations made of the apparent position of heavenly bodies.

celestial navigation

noun

1. navigation by observation of the positions of the stars Also calledastronavigation

celestial navigation

1. Navigation of a ship or aircraft based on the observed positions of celestial bodies.
2. See more at altazimuth coordinate system

Word History and Origins

Origin of celestial navigation¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Dr. Sharvit speculated that, lacking compasses, astrolabes or sextants, seafarers in the 14th century B.C. probably relied on celestial navigation, taking sightings and angles of the sun and star positions.

From New York Times

Some examples of ancient TEK include midwifery, celestial navigation and fish conservation.

From Scientific American

Sitting there, appreciating Aiken’s wry assessment of his own uncertain celestial navigation, I wondered what he would make of his hometown’s road map from past to present to future.

From Washington Post

Other, broader impacts could affect life worldwide: the presence of satellites contributes to a background glow in the sky that can disorient animals that rely on celestial navigation.

From Scientific American

To top it off, the crew managed this feat without the aid of maps or radio contact, using only celestial navigation and an atlas obtained from a library in New Zealand.

From Seattle Times