Celestial Navigation Endorsement (ASA 117)

Celestial Navigation Endorsement (ASA 117) now satisfies the celestial navigation prerequisite for Offshore Passagemaking Passage Making (ASA 108). ASA 117 provides students the basic knowledge needed to fix their latitude using the Sun and Polaris. While this basic celestial endorsement does not require the student to learn and master all the calculations required in the ASA 107 Celestial Navigation course, the student will receive a meaningful introduction to the theory and processes of celestial navigation. Students will get hands-on experience with the sextant and learn the concepts that make celestial navigation possible. This course provides a basic capability for emergency navigation and serves as a useful introduction to Celestial Navigation. Upon completion of the class, the student will understand and be able to demonstrate the use of the sextant and Nautical Almanac to determine their latitude based on sextant sights taken of the Sun and Polaris.