How Do Sextants Work?

All it is is a device that measures the angle between two objects. The sextant makes use of two mirrors. With this sextant, one of the mirrors ( mirror a in the diagram) is half-silvered, which allows some light to pass through. In navigating, you look at the horizon through this mirror.

How Do Sextants Work?

A sextant is a navigational instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. It is primarily used in marine navigation and has been an important tool for seafarers since the 18th century.

The sextant is still used today as a primary navigational tool, although it is becoming less common as modern navigation systems become more prevalent.

The sextant works by using a series of mirrors and lenses to measure the angle between two visible points. It typically has an index arm, which is a movable arm with a graduated scale, and a sighting telescope, which is mounted on the index arm and used to sight the two points.

The index arm is adjusted until the two points are in the same line of sight, and the angle is read from the scale. The sextant is used to measure the angle of the sun, moon, or a star relative to the horizon, allowing the navigator to calculate their position.

This is done by first finding the altitude of the celestial body above the horizon, and then calculating the angle of the body relative to the horizon.

This angle is then used to calculate the navigator’s position. The sextant is also used to measure the angle between two landmarks on