Sextant

The Marine Sextant
 The MARINE SEXTANT is a hand-held

instrument for measuring the angle between
the lines of sight of two points by bringing
into coincidence at the eye of the observer
the direct ray from one point , and a double-
reflected ray from the other.
 Its principal use is to measure the altitudes of
celestial bodies above the visible sea
horizon.
 Sometimes, it is turned on its side and used
for measuring the difference in bearing of two
terrestrial objects.
 Index Mirror – a piece of silvered glass mounted on the index
arm, perpendicular to the plane of the instrument, with the
center of the reflecting surface directly over the pivot of the
index arm.
 Index Arm – a movable bar made of brass or aluminum and is
pivoted about the center of the curvature of the limb.
 Tangent Screw – mounted perpendicularly on the end of the
index arm, where it engages the teeth of the limb.
 Release Lever or Clamp – a spring-actuated clamp which
keeps the tangent screw engaged with the teeth of the limb.
 Micrometer Drum – mounted on the end of the tangent
screw which is graduated in minutes of altitude.
 Vernier or Vernier Scale – adjacent to the Micrometer Drum
and fixed on the Index Arm which aids in reading fractions of
minute. It indicates tenths of a degree of Angle.
 Shade Glasses (Index Shade and Horizon Shade) –
Of varying darkness, are mounted on the frame of the
sextant in front of the Index Mirror and Horizon Glass.
 Horizon Glass – a piece of optical glasses silvered n its
half nearer the frame.
 Telescope – directs the line of sight of an observer to
the Horizon Glass and magnifies the objet observed
and is parallel to the plane of the instrument.
 Handle – made of wood or plastic. Sextants are
designed to be held in the right hand.
 Frame – structure that serves as the base for the
different parts of the sextant.
 Graduated Arc – indicates the number of degrees of
an Angle.
1. Put the Index Arm to Zero.
2. Point the Sextant to the Horizon.
3. Bring the Celestial Body to the Horizon.
4. Swing the Sextant from Right to Left to
verify that the celestial body is touching the
horizon.
5. Take the Reading of the Angle
 The DEGREES are read by noting the position of
the arrow on the Index Arm in relation to the
Arc.
 The MINUTES are read by noting the position of
the Zero on the Vernier Scale with relation to the
graduations on the Micrometer Drum.
 The FRACTION OF A MINUTE is read by noting
which mark on the Vernier Scale most nearly
coincides with one of the graduations on the
Micrometer Drum.
 Sextant Errors are classified into two:
1. Non-adjustable Errors
a) Prismatic Error
b) Graduation Error
c) Centering Error
d) Shade Error
e) Collimation Error
f) Worm and Rack Error
2. Adjustable Errors
a) Perpendicularity Error
b) Side Error
c) Index Error
 These are types of errors that cannot be fixed
on board and can only be fixed if the
instrument is sent to the manufacturer for re-
calibration.
 The Equipment manufacturer normally

determines the magnitude of the non-
adjustable errors and reports them to the
user as instrument error.
1. PRISMATIC ERROR – is present if the front
and rear faces of the mirror are not parallel.
2. GRADUATION ERROR – is an error
occurring if the Graduated arc, Micrometer
Drum and/or the Vernier scale is improperly
cut or incorrectly calibrated.
3. CENTERING ERROR – an error resulting if
the Index Arm does not pivot at the exact
center of the arc’s curvature.
4. SHADE ERROR – is an error if the pieces of
the shade are not parallel which results to
distortion of rays passing through the
shades.
5. COLLIMATION ERROR – an error present
when the axis of the telescope is not parallel
to the plane of the sextant.
6. WORM AND RACK ERROR – an error that is
caused by the wear on the gearing rack.
 Adjustable Sextant Errors are errors which
can be adjusted by the user on board.
 These can be adjusted through the
adjustment screws present in the sextant.
1. PERPENDICULARITY ERROR – is an
error due to the Index Mirror not being
perpendicular to the plane of the sextant.
2. SIDE ERROR – is an error due to the
Horizon Mirror is not being perpendicular
to the plane of the sextant.
3. INDEX ERROR – is an error due to the
Index Mirror and the Horizon Mirror are
not parallel when the Index Arm is set to
Exactly to Zero.
1. Set the Index Arm and Micrometer Drum
Exactly to 0 Degrees.
2. Hold the Sextant vertically and look directly
at a star or the horizon.
3. Adjust the Micrometer Drum until the
reflected and true images of the horizon is in
strait line or star coincides.
4. Check now the reading and calculate the
error if they are “on the arc” or “off the arc”.
 If the Index Error is “On the Arc”, you have to
SUBTRACT the value of the index error to
your sextant reading. Otherwise;
 If the Index Error is “Off the Arc”, you have to

ADD the value of the index error to your
sextant reading.

Sextant

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The Marine Sextant

 The MARINE SEXTANT is a hand-held

 The Equipment manufacturer normally

 If the Index Error is “Off the Arc”, you have to

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