One had sighted the Adelaide the previous day and gave them her course bearings.

By rotating the capsule to align the needle with the orienting marks, the course bearing could be read at the lubber line.

G.P.S. receivers turn the information into useful navigation data: latitude and longitude, altitude, course bearings and ground speed.

Emperor Vargold Narrish IV took his course bearings from that beacon during his early explorations of the Korrellean Sector.