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Sextant

Marine Engineering

A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The principle of the instrument was first implemented around 1731 by John Hadley and Thomas Godfrey. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Year
1731 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountApproximate, source states around 1731.
Connections

Associated With

Astrolabe, Inventions
Source Astrolabe (Wikipedia)

In Field

Source Sextant (Wikipedia)

Held Differently

John Hadley, Engineers

Why this is disputed. Independently claimed the same octant/sextant principle circa 1731 alongside Thomas Godfrey (co-claimant not wired to a separate entity this pass; recorded as a gap).

Source Sextant (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Sextant (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead section (entity-description)
    A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects.
  • Lead section (Hadley and Godfrey)
    The principle of the instrument was first implemented around 1731 by John Hadley and Thomas Godfrey
  • Invented By: John Hadley, History section (inventor attribution)
    The principle of the instrument was first implemented around 1731 by John Hadley and Thomas Godfrey.
  • In Field: Marine Engineering, Introduction
    A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects.
View the Source
Astrolabe (Wikipedia)
WikipediaAssociated With: Astrolabe, Introduction section
Quote, Associated With: Astrolabe, Introduction section
The astrolabe, which is a precursor to the sextant, is effective for determining latitude on land or calm seas.
View the Source
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