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> Curious how navigation at night was not possible without expensive equipment, sounds like they were relying only on starts in the morning and evening?

As a sibling comment notes, it is possible. There are tables for lunar distance:

* https://thenauticalalmanac.com/Lunar_Distance_Tables.html

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_distance_(navigation)

* https://www.starpath.com/resources2/brunner-lunars.pdf

The planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can be used, as well as several dozen planets (lookup tables in an almanac)

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_almanac

* https://thenauticalalmanac.com

Two US military videos explaining the theory (ground points/GP, circle of position, etc):

* USAF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV1V9-nnaAs

* Army: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4DRBi66cOA

The USAF has a video because that's how planes used to do navigation outside of radio range—sextants on the ceiling of the cockpit:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7gAiI79nOY

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc3rAlCDf54






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