To give directions around town, people often use landmarks for reference.<\/p>\n
“How do we get to Fred Meyer?” Neil Nickerson asked a packed crowd at the Marie Drake Planetarium Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
“Down the road and turn right,” a kid responded.<\/p>\n
[Planetarium fundraises for new projector, seeks volunteers]<\/ins><\/a><\/p>\n That was exactly the answer Nickerson was looking for. During Nickerson’s presentation about celestial navigation, he talked about how people get to where they need to go. In the time before Google Maps, people used landmarks to give directions. But out at sea, they had to use “skymarks.”<\/p>\n Most Juneauites know seeing the stars isn’t an everyday occurrence. Cloud cover inhibits stargazing most nights. But ancient sailors relied on these stars to lead the way to other places. The art of celestial navigation is ancient, but it still has some uses today, especially in emergency situations.<\/p>\n Nickerson is an Assistant Professor of Marine Transportation Career Education at the University of Alaska Southeast<\/a>. He’s a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, with a variety of experience USCG cutters. After that he worked as a mate aboard various towing vessels and for the Alaska Marine Highway System. He also was the owner of sightseeing charter boat company.<\/p>\n Last fall, he taught the first celestial navigation class at UAS. His talk on Tuesday was just a taste of what students learn in that class.<\/p>\n