History and use of star finder celestial globes for navigation cf plan models - Printable Version +- Forums (https://thenauticalalmanac.com/Forum) +-- Forum: Main Forum Area (https://thenauticalalmanac.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: General Topics Here (https://thenauticalalmanac.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=2) +--- Thread: History and use of star finder celestial globes for navigation cf plan models (/showthread.php?tid=241)

History and use of star finder celestial globes for navigation cf plan models - Pennine_Lad - 07-24-2022 Hi   I'm interested in the history of star finder models as an aid to celestial navigation and have a small selection of plan models (list below). My favourite is the Italian Sferoscopio del Pino (image enclosed). Earliest found to date by Rude 1921 leading to the 2102-x models, the 2102-D and British Admiralty NP323 still current.   I've recently extended to researching the celestial starfinder globes which predate the plan models  by some margin into the 19thC. Russian and Chinese models made up until the 70s at least come up on eBay. Freiberger also still offer one new. Image of my Russian 1978 example shown.   Although there are plenty of resources describing current use of the plan models, notably the 2102-D with David Burch's 'The Star Finder Book' recently into a 3rd edition 2019, have found no reports of the globes being used for navigation, past or present. The globes also have many more stars than the almanac tabulates (the Russian has 160, almanacs typically 57) and unclear how useful these extra stars would be without supporting tables.   Can anyone comment on how widely used the globes were or are being used.   Thanks.   David Star finder models owned. 2102-B Sferoscopio del Pino 1971 facsimiles of the 1937+ model (inserts in pocket of book 'La Navigazioni Astronomica' by Mario Sacchetti (1971) to support exercises) USAF CP-300/U 2102-D vintage and current Weems and Plath British Admiralty current NP323 Russian celestial star finder globe model 3Г 6.6 inches diameter.