Navigation and astronomy in Europe and Oceania at the time of the Magellan-Elcano expedition

Abstract

Trade has been the main engine of the great geographical explorations. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the Portuguese and Spanish inaugurated the routes of a truly global maritime trade, connecting the main inhabited geographic areas of the planet, with astronomy being an essential and strategic instrument of that expansion. The use of the stars for navigation was also developed by other cultures. A fascinating example is that of traditional navigation in the Pacific Islands, a vast geographical environment that the Magellan-Elcano expedition discovered for the Western world.

Keywords:

determination of latitude, navigation instruments, navigation techniques, positional astronomy, Pacific Islands, traditional Polynesian navigation

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