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Bridge Items
Sextants
A sextant is a measuring instrument used to measure the angle of elevation of a celestial object, traditionally the Sun above the horizon. Knowing the angle and time of day, traditionally mid-day for the sun, one can calculate the degree of latitude. A sextant's view merges two views. One view is of the sky, through the mirrors. The other view is of the horizon. One uses a sextant by adjusting the arm and a worm adjustment until the lower edge of an image of a celestial body touches the horizon
Accuracy of a sextant A sextant's accuracy is expressed in "seconds of arc". Each minute of angular measurement represents a distance of one nautical mile, so sextants can generally read out to one-fifth or one-tenth of a minute. From a small boat platform, most navigators can expect an accuracy of within a few miles