What’s happening

Maritime museum offers celestial navigation classes

WHAT: Celestial Navigation classes

WHERE: Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston

WHEN/DETAILS: The courses offered are: • Easy Introductory Celestial Navigation, March 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teaches participants how to shoot the sun at noon and use the sun and stars as a compass in traditional wayfinding. Ideal for beginners interested in marine celestial navigation and long-distance hikers. • Modern Celestial Navigation, April 13 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teaches participants how to use modern sextants to determine exact latitude and longitude using the sun and stars anywhere on Earth; analyzing sights with modern tools like calculators and software apps. • Celestial Navigation in the Age of Sail, May 4 and 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teaches real celestial navigation through handson sextant observations with historical instruments and historical pencil and paper calculations, just as it was done aboard American sailing vessels in the late 19th century. Instructor Frank Reed is an expert celestial navigator. He has appeared on National Geographic’s StarTalk, and is the main instructor of Celestial Navigation and Mystic Seaport. Prices for each course is $225, general registration; $210, individual member registration; and $200, household member and above.

CONTACT: Call (845) 3380071 or visit hrmm.org for more information and to register.