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The fact that such an instrument was introduced in the middle of the 18th century shows that the quadrant was still a viable instrument even in the presence of the octant. English scientist George Adams created a very similar backstaff at the same time. Adam's version ensured that the distance between the Flamsteed glass and horizon vane was ...
As a navigational tool, this instrument was eventually replaced, first by the backstaff or quadrant, neither of which required the user to stare directly into the sun, and later by the octant and the sextant. Perhaps influenced by the backstaff, some navigators modified the cross-staff to operate more like the former.
The frame of a sextant is in the shape of a sector which is approximately 1 ⁄ 6 of a circle (60°), [2] 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 [3] span sectors of approximately 1 ⁄ 8 of a circle (45°), 1 ⁄ 5 of a circle (72 ...
It was replaced by the back staff and later by the octant and sextant. Quadrant A very simple instrument which used a plumb bob. These instruments are also used to measure the angular distance between objects: Octant, invented in 1731. The first widely accepted instrument that could measure an angle without being strongly affected by movement.
The name octant derives from the Latin octans meaning eighth part of a circle, because the instrument's arc is one eighth of a circle.. Reflecting quadrant derives from the instrument using mirrors to reflect the path of light to the observer and, in doing so, doubles the angle measured.
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Davis quadrant aka backstaff; octant; sextant; Given that the mariner's astrolabe was pretty much out of use by the late 17 th c, the octant/sextant replaced the Davis quadrant, at least in the Royal Navy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Michael Daly (talk • contribs) 05:43, 12 September 2007 (UTC)
An octant in solid geometry is one of the eight divisions of a Euclidean three-dimensional coordinate system defined by the signs of the coordinates. It is analogous to the two-dimensional quadrant and the one-dimensional ray. [1] The generalization of an octant is called orthant or hyperoctant.