WebDefine sextant. sextant synonyms, sextant pronunciation, sextant translation, English dictionary definition of sextant. n. 1. A navigational instrument containing a graduated 60-degree arc, used for measuring the altitudes of celestial bodies for use in determining the... Sextant - definition of sextant by The Free Dictionary ... The scales of the octant, sextant, quintant and quadrant are graduated from below zero to 90°, 120°, 140° and 180° respectively. For example, the sextant illustrated has a scale graduated from −10° to 142°, which is basically a quintant: the frame is a sector of a circle subtending an angle of 76° at the pivot of the … See more A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the See more Like the Davis quadrant, the sextant allows celestial objects to be measured relative to the horizon, rather than relative to the instrument. This … See more A sight (or measure) of the angle between the sun, a star, or a planet, and the horizon is done with the 'star telescope' fitted to the sextant using a visible horizon. On a vessel at sea even on See more • Astrolabe • Bris sextant • Davis quadrant • Gago Coutinho • Harold Gatty • History of longitude See more The frame of a sextant is in the shape of a sector which is approximately 1⁄6 of a circle (60°), hence its name (sextāns, sextantis is the Latin word for "one sixth"). Both smaller and … See more Due to the sensitivity of the instrument it is easy to knock the mirrors out of adjustment. For this reason a sextant should be checked frequently for errors and adjusted accordingly. There are four errors that can be adjusted by the navigator, … See more • Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office Archived 2011-02-21 at the Wayback Machine • The History of HM Nautical Almanac Office Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine • Chapter 17 from the online edition of Nathaniel Bowditch's American Practical … See more
Sectant vs. Sextant - What
WebApr 18, 2013 · Modern instruments, which often have an arc graduated to 144° using an arc of 72° (a fifth of a circle), read the full 144° since they use a micrometer readout instead of a vernier, as is the case with the … greek railways logo
How Is A Sextant Used For Navigation? - Maritime Page
WebJun 11, 2024 · sex·tant / ˈsekstənt / • n. an instrument with a graduated arc of 60° and a sighting mechanism, used for measuring the angular distances between objects and esp. … WebJun 11, 2024 · sex·tant / ˈsekstənt / • n. an instrument with a graduated arc of 60° and a sighting mechanism, used for measuring the angular distances between objects and esp. for taking altitudes in navigation. ORIGIN: late 16th cent. (denoting the sixth part of a circle): from Latin sextans, sextant-‘sixth part,’ from sextus ‘sixth.’ WebThe angular distance of the star above the horizon is then read from the graduated arc of the sextant. From this angle and the exact time of day as registered by a chronometer, the latitude can be determined (within a … flower decoration for house warming ceremony