Navigation

Polynesians knew the night sky intimately in the times of long distance voyaging. With no map, compass or other instruments it was essential to understand which stars rising or setting on the horizon marked the position of specific islands. In addition, zenith stars were used, marking directions at their highest point in the sky. A master navigator used many more references to judge his position; Ocean currents, seaweed, bird flight direction, clouds, the sun and moon and even the smell on the air were drawn on to get a position fix. It isn't easy! Add in factors such as cloud cover and rough weather at sea and the process becomes almost impossible to an unpractised navigator used to charts, compass and GPS.

Take a look at the sky tonight - how would you navigate using it?

Now, which way is home?