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The merkhet or merjet (Ancient Egyptian: mrḫt, 'instrument of knowing' [1]) was an ancient surveying and timekeeping instrument. It involved the use of a bar with a plumb line, attached to a wooden handle. [2] It was used to track the alignment of certain stars called decans or "baktiu" in the Ancient Egyptian. When visible, the stars could ...
The instrument consists of three rings, representing the celestial equator, declination, and the meridian. It can be used as a sun dial to tell time, if the approximate latitude and season is known, or to tell latitude, if the time is known or observed (at solar noon).
An astronomical instrument is a device for observing, measuring or recording astronomical data.They are used in the scientific field of astronomy, a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos, with the object of explaining their origin and evolution over time.
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Cryptic crosswords often use abbreviations to clue individual letters or short fragments of the overall solution. These include: Any conventional abbreviations found in a standard dictionary, such as: "current": AC (for "alternating current"); less commonly, DC (for "direct current"); or even I (the symbol used in physics and electronics)
Huygens first used a clock to calculate the equation of time (the difference between the apparent solar time and the time given by a clock), publishing his results in 1665. The relationship enabled astronomers to use the stars to measure sidereal time, which provided an accurate method for setting clocks. The equation of time was engraved on ...
A nocturnal is an instrument used to determine the local time based on the position of a star in the night sky relative to the pole star. As a result of the Earth's rotation, any fixed star makes a full revolution around the pole star in 23 hours and 56 minutes and therefore can be used as an hour hand.
It could be used to find the altitude of the Sun or determine local time. It let sunlight shine through a small orifice on the rim of the instrument. The point of light striking the far side of the instrument gave the altitude or tell time. All those mentioned were the traditional instruments used until well into the second half of the 20th ...