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 Does a Sextant Work?
A sextant is an instrument that is used to measure the angle between two objects. It is similar to a protractor, but is more accurate.
The sextant was invented in the early 17th century by John Napier, who is also credited with inventing logarithms. It was first used for navigation at sea, but has since been replaced by more accurate instruments.
How does a sextant work? The sextant consists of two mirrors, a frame and a graduated arc. The mirrors are set at an angle of 60 degrees to each other.
The frame is used to hold the instrument steady, while the arc is used to measure the angle between the two objects. To use the sextant, the observer looks through one of the mirrors and aligns the object with the horizon.
The horizon is then sighted through the other mirror. The angle between the two objects is read from the arc. The sextant is a very useful instrument, but it has a few limitations.
Firstly, it can only be used during the day, as the horizon is not visible at night. Secondly, it is affected by the Earth‘s curvature, so it is not possible to take
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