Take a celestial navigational journey of the starry night, for free, guided by Wesleyan University associate professor of the practice of astronomy Roy Kilgard, on Tuesday, Nov 5, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Connecticut River Museum.

“This is going to be a fantastic talk that we know will be interesting, educational, and informative,” said Suzanne Burns, director of education at the Connecticut River Museum. “Celestial navigation played a huge role in maritime navigation, so this talk is a perfect compliment to our museum and we are very fortunate to have Professor Kilgard share his knowledge with us.”

Kilgard’s talk will dive into the interesting world of celestial navigation and how it was used beginning in England in the 1600s up through the mid-20th century.

Integrating the development of navigational charts and navigational instruments through the years and the connection between astronomy and navigation, Kilgard will cover topics such as how to translate what you observe as you look out at the horizon with images printed on a navigational chart, chart making, and plotting navigational positions, as well as the specific tools needed for these tasks.

Using the night sky as a teaching aid, weather permitting, Kilgard will demonstrate historic navigational instruments versus the modern adaptations of a present-day telescope.

“Professor Kilgard is has a wealth of knowledge and is a fantastic speaker. He is extremely well versed in celestial navigation, which was the traditional way of navigation throughout history, for most of the Connecticut River local ship captains, so this talk with combine both the art and science of celestial navigation and we are extremely happy and honored to be able to offer this to the community,” said Burns.

For a more information, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860-767-8269.