This code project was written with these objectives
- Provide for a workable positioning tool when GPS is not available.
- As an exercise for myself in python coding, and elementary maths (geometry, vector/linear algebra, numerical methods).
- As an attempt to give evidence of the spherical shape of the Earth.
The latter objective might seem strange, but I have followed some conspirationist movements during the last year, in particular Flat Earth. It is very obvious that celestial navigation provides one of the most solid evidence of a spheric Earth you can ever get, and this just by staying on the ground (or sail a ship at sea) using low-tech equipment. No spaceflight is necessary, it can be performed in your backyard (using an artificial horizon) and this has been known for many centuries. By providing this sample I hope to give some more understanding of the concept. An even better way to learn is of course to study the techniques in the old-school way, as it has been practitioned on ships for many centuries, and a good start is to watch this tutorial on Youtube here (Andy Howe). Another very good resource can be found here (Frank Reed) where you find courses, software and more.
You may also watch a website I wrote dedicated to reasoning and challenging questions on Earth geometry here, including a special challenge related to Celestial Navigation here.