Which instruments helped sailors to navigate while at sea during the Age of Exploration?

Answer 1

Sailors used a compass or an astrolabe. a compass points North so you know your direction. an astrolabe can tell your location by using the sun as a reference point but you might need a star chart to use it. If you were traveling at night you would use the star char5t and the North Star to tell direction.

Answer 2

The Navigational aids that explorers would have used included:

• Astrolabes - calculating latitudes

• Telescope - Hans Lippershey (c1570-c1619) credited with the invention. The telescope was introduced to astronomy in 1609 by Galileo Galilei

• Charts and Maps - Cartography or map making was an important Renaissance skill

• Compasses - Enabled Renaissance sea men to find their bearing in the fog

• Cross-staffs - Used to measure the angle of the Sun or a star above the horizon

• Nocturnals - Measuring and timekeeping instrument

• Quadrants - Measuring and timekeeping instrument

• Traverse boards - Navigation instrument - older version of Astrolabe

• The Hour-glass, Minute-glass and Sun-dial - timekeeping instruments

• Almanacs - which forecast precisely where the the sun, moon, planets and selected navigational stars, are going to be, hour by hour, years into the future

Answer 3

A compass