Websextant (n.) sextant. (n.) instrument for determining latitude in navigation and surveying, 1620s, from Modern Latin sextans, which is said to have been first used in this sense c. 1600 by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, from Latin sextans "a sixth, a sixth part," from sex "six" (see six ). So called because the sextans has a graduated arc equal ... WebDec 3, 2024 · Graduated arc — shows the angle of the index arm in degrees. Vernier scale — shows minutes of arc. Micrometer drum — shows seconds of arc. Thimble — allows fine movement of the index arm on …
The Marine Sextant — Principles and its use in …
WebThe position of the sight vane on the graduated arc determined the altitude. This was considered a great advancement in the construction of instruments. ... and they were all true sextants with a 60° arc divided into 120 graduations. The index arm had a clear, easily read vernier scale with magnifying glass attached. From this time on the ... WebThe graduated arc covers roughly 60 degrees and is labeled from 5 to 0 to 145. Finely inscribed increments between these numbers may be read using a magnifying glass attached to the measuring arm of the sextant. The … cypress building kaiser redwood city
Nautical sextant: errors, tips & tricks, animated video
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 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. … WebOct 20, 2024 · Every sextant is equipped with error adjustment screws. The design of these screws varies from sextant to sextant. Some have ordinary screw driver slots while others have round heads with a hole drilled … cypress business insurance