Question 1 Explain the different methods of navigation

Celestial navigation may be the very first method used by the sailors to determine
their positions accurately in the ocean. With the help of an celestial object, they
were able to measure the angular measurements to the horizon. Be it the Sun, the
Moon, or known stars and planets. One celestial object used was the Polaris because
the known spot for Polaris is always over the north pole. At a given time, any
celestial body is located directly over one point on the Earth's surface.
Pilotage is a method of navigation that uses visual references to determine
location such as charts, natural features, like mountains, hills, lakes,
navigational aids, such as sea marks, lighthouses, airports.. This method often
cause nautical and aeronautical disasters as the pilot fails to correctly identify
visual references. This is because natural features are hard to recognize when
there are conditions with poor visibility.
Dead Reckoning is a method of navigation wherein it is dependent on the prior
distance to the current distance. The last known position is called the fix, from
the fix the navigator plots the craft's expected position for a given fix interval
according to its course, speed, the winds, and tides.
Waypoint navigation is a method of navigation that is commonly used today. It uses
electronic equipment such as radio navigation and satellite navigation system to
follow a course to a waypoint. In radio navigation, it is the application of radio
frequencies to determine a position on the earth. The most recent technology in
waypoint navigation is the satellite navigation system. It uses satellites to
provide autonomous GPS, wherein it provides high quality positions using time
signals transmitted along a line of sight by radio from satellites.
Position fixing is concerned with determining the position of a vehicle or person
on the surface of the Earth. It determines the current position by visual and
electronic means like position lines and circles, celestial navigation, and wayback
navigation.
Lastly is radar navigation wherein it is mainly used to avoid collisions. It is a
mandatory aid to navigation, the radar is used in identifying, tracking (with
integrated ARPA) and positioning of vessels (including one's own vessel) among
other things in order to adhere to the COLREGs so as to safely navigate a ship from
one point to another.
Question 2 Explain the following terms
- Pilotage
The term pilotage means the use of fixed points of reference on the sea or on land,
usually with reference to a nautical chart or aeronautical chart to obtain a fix of
the position of the vessel or aircraft with respect to a desired course or
location.
- dead reckoning
The term "dead reckoning" was not originally used to abbreviate "deduced
reckoning," nor is it a misspelling of the term "ded reckoning." The original
intention of "dead" in the term is not clear however. Whether it is used to convey
"absolute" as in "dead ahead," reckoning using other objects that are "dead in the
water," or using reckoning properly "you’re dead if you don’t reckon right," is not
known. Dead reckoning is one of the navigation methods or calculation wherein it
determines the position of a ship or an aircraft without the help of celestial
observations. It uses the preceding records of the ship's or aircraft's courses,
distance, speed, wind, tide, currents and fix to calculate the current position.
This method was used by Christopher Columbus during the Age of Exploration.
- Celestial navigation From the celestial itself, it measures angular measurement
between a celestial object, like the Sun, Moon, stars, and the horizon. Way back,
sailors could determine the longitude just by measuring the angle over the eastern
or western horizon at noon, but the dilemma is that the determination of noon must
be accurate. The vast number of celestial objects permit navigators to shoot
through holes in clouds. Usually, the Sun and the Moon is used to perform celestial
navigation.

Question 3 What do you understand by navigation? How does navigation process

improves?