There are several different methods of navigation, including but not limited to Celestial navigation,

Pilotage, Dead Reckoning, Waypoint Navigation, Position Fixing and Radar. The first method of
navigation is the Celestial Navigation. When no landmarks or aids to navigation are visible, navigators
may use the Sun, the Moon, or other celestial bodies to fix the craft’s position. In celestial navigation,
navigators measure the altitude of a celestial body to derive a circle of position. Altitude of a celestial
body refers to its angle, in degrees, above the horizon. From every point on the circle of position, the
altitude of the celestial body is the same. The second method of navigation is the navigation by costal
piloting or Pilotage. Coastal piloting means navigating within sight of land. In coastal piloting, navigators
determine their position more accurately by taking compass bearings —angular measurements of the
line of sight between the craft and nearby landmarks or aids to navigation. The third method of
navigation is the navigation by Dead Reckoning. Dead Reckoning, basic method of navigation in which
the position of a ship or aircraft is determined by calculation from a previous position of the craft, the
direction of travel from the previous position, the speed of the craft, and the time traveled. And the
other methods of navigation (Waypoint navigation, Position Fixing and Radar) are using electronic
navigation. Waypoint navigation uses electronic equipment such as radio navigation and satellite
navigation system to follow a course to a waypoint. Position fixing also uses electronic equipment in
determining position information. Modern navigators rarely rely exclusively on their own measurements
and calculations. They often use position calculations derived by high-tech electronic navigational
instruments. These instruments usually can determine positions faster and more accurately than
humans. They function in nearly all-weather conditions, day or night, and have a range far beyond that
of the human senses alone.

Pilotage is a method of navigation which uses visible natural and man-made features such as sea marks
and beacons. It is a method in which uses fixed visual preferences on the ground or sea to guide oneself
to a destination. Pilotage navigation depends on reference to landmarks or checkpoints (except over
water) that often is used in conjunction with dead (from ded, meaning deduced) reckoning.

Dead Reckoning is navigation solely by means of computations based on time, airspeed, distance, and
direction. It is used to estimate an object’s position based on the distance it traveled in its current
direction from its previous position. Dead Reckoning, basic method of navigation in which the position of
a ship or aircraft is determined by calculation from a previous position of the craft, the direction of travel
from the previous position, the speed of the craft, and the time traveled.

Pilotage is dependent on visible natural and man-made preferences as guides in navigation while Dead
Reckoning is based on computations on time, airspeed, distance, and direction and also based on
journey logs. But when no landmarks or aids to navigation are visible, navigators may use the Sun, the
Moon, or other celestial bodies to fix the craft’s position. In celestial navigation, navigators measure the
altitude of a celestial body to derive a circle of position. Altitude of a celestial body refers to its angle, in
degrees, above the horizon. From every point on the circle of position, the altitude of the celestial body
is the same.

Navigation is the art and science of maneuvering safely and efficiently from one point to another. The
word navigation (Latin navis, “boat”; agire, “guide”) traditionally meant the art or science of conducting
ships and other watercraft from one place to another. It may be defined as the control of the motion of
vehicles for guidance through air, sea or land to the destination. In the early days of aviation, navigation
was mostly an art. Today, navigation is a science with sophisticated equipment being used on most of
the aircraft or ship.

Early navigation required visual position fixing with land, forcing all ship to stay close to shore. The
development of accurate systems for taking lines of position based on the measurement of stars and
planets with the sextant allowed ships to navigate the open ocean. Later developments included the
addition of lighthouses and buoys close to shore to add more accurate information when approaching
land after a long sea voyage. And Eventually, the addition of radio beacons and radio direction finders
allowed for accurate land-based fixes even hundreds of miles from shore.

Most sailors in the early days uses celestial navigation whereas they follow the celestial bodies in order
to reach their respective destination. One example of the celestial body that they made as a reference in
their buoyage is the Polaris or the star of the north pole. Later throughout the years, around 300, the
magnetic compass was invented in China. And around 400, metallurgy allowed construction of
astrolabes graduated in degrees, which replaced the wooden latitude instruments for night use. Starting
in 1670, after Isaac Newton published the Principia, the entire world was measured using essentially
modern latitude instruments and the best available clocks. In 1730 the sextant was invented and
navigators rapidly replaced their astrolabes. A sextant uses mirrors to measure the altitude of celestial
objects with regards to the horizon.

In the late 19th century, Nikola Tesla invented the radio and direction-finding was quickly adapted to
navigation. Up until 1960, it was a commonplace for ships and aircraft to use radio direction-finding on
commercial stations in order to locate islands and cities within the last several miles of error. Around
1960, Loran was developed. This used time-of-flight of radio waves from antennas at known locations.
VOR and DME was also developed around the same time. And at the same time, TRANSIT, the first
satellite-based navigation system was developed. It was the first electronic navigation system to provide
global coverage. And in 1974, the first GPS satellite was launched. The GPS system now permits accurate
geographic location with an error of only a few meters and precision timing to less than a microsecond.