Naval History and Heritage Command

National Museum of the U.S. Navy

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Navigation Vocabulary

Celestial- Objects or things related to the sky

Chart- A mariner's map

Compass- an instrument used to determine directions; a freely floating magnetized needle that points to magnetic North.

Current- a large flow of air or a large body of water moving in a certain direction.

Equator- the imaginary line of latitude circling the middle of the Earth, which is equidistant from the North and South Poles. The equator marks 0 degrees latitude.

Helm- the wheel, tiller, or steering apparatus of a ship

Horizon- the line where the sky and the land or water appear to meet.

Hydrography- the science of the measurement, description, and mapping of the surface water of the earth for use in navigation.

Landmark- an easily visible land feature that serves as a guide.

Latitude- imaginary lines running east and west on a globe used to measure distances north and south of the equator.

Longitude- imaginary lines on a globe running north and south through the North and South poles, used to measure distances east and west of the Prime Meridian.

Meridian- another name for lines of longitude; the Prime Meridian is the line of longitude that runs through Greenwich, England, and is designated as 0 degrees longitude.

Navigate- to guide a ship or vessel across a sea or body of water.

Quadrant- an instrument used in navigation and astronomy for measuring the angle of celestial bodies above the horizon.




Published: Fri Apr 19 13:08:44 EDT 2019