Sextant
noun
A tool used for measuring the angle between any two visible objects.
The sailor used a sextant to determine the ship's position by observing the stars.
Often appears as...
- use a sextant
- sextant reading
Usage tips
Technical
noun
One-sixth part of a circle.
A sextant is an angle of 60 degrees, which is one-sixth of a circle.
Often appears as...
- sextant of a circle
- sextant angle
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A tool used for measuring the angle between any two visible objects.
The sailor used a sextant to determine the ship's position by observing the stars.
Often appears as...
- use a sextant
- sextant reading
Usage tips
Technical
noun
One-sixth part of a circle.
A sextant is an angle of 60 degrees, which is one-sixth of a circle.
Often appears as...
- sextant of a circle
- sextant angle
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Nautical Instrument
Sextants are mostly used by sailors for navigation relying on celestial bodies.
The captain instructed the crew on how to use a sextant for ocean navigation.
Pro Tip 2/3Precision Tool
A sextant allows for high precision in measurement, critical for accuracy in location.
Using a sextant, they charted a precise course for their voyage.
Pro Tip 3/3Modern Relevance
Although GPS has largely replaced sextants, they are still useful as a fail-safe navigation method.
During GPS failure, the old sextant proved to be indispensable.
Pro Tip 1/3Nautical Instrument
Sextants are mostly used by sailors for navigation relying on celestial bodies.
The captain instructed the crew on how to use a sextant for ocean navigation.
Pro Tip 2/3Precision Tool
A sextant allows for high precision in measurement, critical for accuracy in location.
Using a sextant, they charted a precise course for their voyage.
Pro Tip 3/3Modern Relevance
Although GPS has largely replaced sextants, they are still useful as a fail-safe navigation method.
During GPS failure, the old sextant proved to be indispensable.
Pro Tip 1/3Nautical Instrument
Sextants are mostly used by sailors for navigation relying on celestial bodies.
The captain instructed the crew on how to use a sextant for ocean navigation.
Pro Tip 2/3Precision Tool
A sextant allows for high precision in measurement, critical for accuracy in location.
Using a sextant, they charted a precise course for their voyage.
Pro Tip 3/3Modern Relevance
Although GPS has largely replaced sextants, they are still useful as a fail-safe navigation method.
During GPS failure, the old sextant proved to be indispensable.
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Video examples
The Mission to Pluto...
out exactly where the spacecraft is with respect to those so that's what we're doing right now up on the spacecraft they're getting new horizons to beam back pictures of Pluto against the surrounding stars which they use to build a roadmap in space just like the old sailors did back in the day that the sextant they knew where certain stars
Video examples
How does math guide our...
made the first device that could measure the angle between the sun and the horizon during the day, called a sextant. Knowing this angle was important, because it could be compared to the angle back in England at the exact same time. Comparing these two angles was necessary to determine the longitude of the ship.
Video examples
How to rebuild the world...
updates for the timing signal which is how GPS works GPS works by a very accurate clock and they would start falling out to synchronicity with each other so get out your sextant right thank you so much
Video examples
The Mission to Pluto...
out exactly where the spacecraft is with respect to those so that's what we're doing right now up on the spacecraft they're getting new horizons to beam back pictures of Pluto against the surrounding stars which they use to build a roadmap in space just like the old sailors did back in the day that the sextant they knew where certain stars
Video examples
How does math guide our...
made the first device that could measure the angle between the sun and the horizon during the day, called a sextant. Knowing this angle was important, because it could be compared to the angle back in England at the exact same time. Comparing these two angles was necessary to determine the longitude of the ship.
Video examples
How to rebuild the world...
updates for the timing signal which is how GPS works GPS works by a very accurate clock and they would start falling out to synchronicity with each other so get out your sextant right thank you so much
Example 1 of 3
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