Sextant

This instrument is really a reproduction of an Octant of the mid 17th century. By semi-accurately measuring the height of stars or the sun, the Octant allows navigants to determine geographic latitude. In 1731 John Hadley (England) and Thomas Godfrey (Philadelphia, U.S.A.), demonstrated the Octant, independently. The arc of an Octant is 45º or 1/8 of a circle (hence its name) and is divided into 90 parts each ½ degree. The Sextant (1757) replaced the wood frame with metal and progressively took the Octant´s place. It is still used today. Feel free to use ours eduactionally, for your own enjoyment - or even in public. They are indeed still in use toady. A common use of the sextant is to sight the sun at noon to find one's latitude.