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A diagram of a typical nautical sextant, a tool used in celestial navigation to measure the angle between two objects viewed by means of its optical sight. Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the practice of position fixing using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a navigator to accurately determine their actual current physical position in space or on the ...
The frame of a sextant is in the shape of a sector which is approximately 1 ⁄ 6 of a circle (60°), [3] hence its name (sextāns, sextantis is the Latin word for "one sixth"). "). Both smaller and larger instruments are (or were) in use: the octant, quintant (or pentant) and the (doubly reflecting) quadrant [4] span sectors of approximately 1 ⁄ 8 of a circle (45°), 1 ⁄ 5 of a circle (72 ...
Nocturnal: instrument to determine local time using relative positions of two or more stars in the night sky; Octant: measuring instrument used primarily in navigation; type of reflecting instrument; Optical spectrometer, also known as Spectrograph: instrument to measure the properties of visible light; Orrery: mechanical model of the Solar System
The number used to identify stars in navigation publications and star charts. [Note 2] Common name The name of the star commonly used navigation publications and star charts. Bayer designation: Another name of the star which combines a Greek letter with the possessive form of its constellation's Latin name. Etymology of common name
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 century. After World War II electronic aids to navigation developed very rapidly and, to a great extent, replaced more traditional tools.
These instruments differ substantially from a navigator's sextant in that the latter is a reflecting instrument. The navigator's sextant uses mirrors to bring the image of the sun, moon or a star to the horizon and measure the altitude of the object. Due to the use of the mirrors, the angle measured is twice the length of the instrument's arc.
Every helpful hint and clue for Sunday's Strands game from the New York Times. Today’s NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram and Answers for Sunday, December 8 Skip to main content
The instrument was provided with a clamping apparatus, by which the observer, after having set the approximate declination, could clamp the axis so the telescope could not be moved in declination, except very slowly by a fine screw. By this slow motion, the telescope was adjusted until the star moved along the horizontal wire (or if there were ...