THE MARINE SEXTANT

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 1

 THE MARINE SEXTANT

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 2

 THE MARINE SEXTANT
WHAT IS A SEXTANT

A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its
primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is
known as the object's altitude.

Making this measurement is known as taking a sight and it is an essential part of celestial
navigation. The angle, and the time when it was measured, can be used to calculate a
position line on a nautical chart.

The scale of a sextant has a length of 1/6 turn (60°); hence the sextant's name (sextāns, -
antis is the Latin word for "one sixth.

An octant is a similar device with a shorter scale (⅛ turn, or 45°), whereas a quintant (1/5
turn, or 72°) and a quadrant (¼ turn, or 90°) have longer scales.

ERRORS OF A SEXTANT

The sextant is subject to a number of errors and adjustments. To find the true altitude of a
celestial body from the observed these must be allowed and adjusted for.

Perpendicularity error

This is when the index mirror is not perpendicular to the frame of the sextant.

To test for this, place the index arm at about 60° on the arc and hold the sextant
horizontally with the arc away from you at arms length and look into the index mirror.

The arc of the sextant should appear to continue unbroken into the mirror. If there is an
error then the two views will appear to be broken.

Adjust the mirror until the reflection and direct view of the arc appear to be continuous.

Side Error

This occurs when the horizon glass is not perpendicular to the plane of the instrument.

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 3

 THE MARINE SEXTANT
To test for this, first zero the index arm then observe a star through the sextant.

Then rotate the tangent screw back and forth so that the reflected image passes alternately
above and below the direct view.

If in changing from one position to another the reflected image passes directly over the
unreflected image, no side error exists.

If it passes to one side, side error exists.

Adjust the horizon glass/mirror until the stars merge into one image or the horizons are
merged into one.

Collimation Error

Collimation error results from the telescope not being parallel to the frame.

To check for this you need to observe two stars 90° or more apart. Bring the reflected image
of one into coincidence with the direct view of the other near either to the left or the right
of the field of view.

Then tilt the sextant so that the stars appear near the opposite edge. If they remain in
coincidence, the telescope is parallel to the frame; if they separate, it is not.

Index error

This occurs when the index and horizon mirrors are not parallel to each other when the
index arm is set to zero.

Index error is an instrumental error. When looking through a sextant at the horizon the
exact level horizon will seldom be seen to be at 0°.

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 4

 THE MARINE SEXTANT
CORRECTIONS TO BE APPLIED

The sextant observed altitude is subject to a number of corrections.

To find the true altitude of a celestial body from the observed these must be allowed and
adjusted for.

Briefly these are:

 Index Error

 Dip

 Refraction

 Parallax

 Semi-diameter

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 5

 THE MARINE SEXTANT
CORRECTIONS TO BE APPLIED TO A SEXTANT ALTITUDE

Index error is an instrumental error. When looking through a sextant at the horizon the
exact level horizon will seldom be seen at 0°.

Sextant set at 0° - horizon split.

Before every sextant session the Index error should be determined.

Index error corrected for horizon level.

If the error is less than 0° it should be added to whatever reading is obtained - if more
subtracted.

Hint: Remember Noah, if off the Arc - add, if on the Arc - take off.

Dip is an adjustment made for the height of the eye above sea level. In practice this is
usually taken as 0.98 times the square root of the height of the eye in metres above sea
level multiplied by 3.28.

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 6

 THE MARINE SEXTANT
Refraction is extracted from the Nautical Almanac. It allows for the "bending" of light rays
as they travel through successive layers of varying density air.

Parallax corrections are needed if the observed body is a planet, the sun or the moon. From
the Almanac.

Semi-diameter correction is needed if the observed body is the sun or the moon. In this
case either the top or bottom of the celestial object (known as upper or lower limb) is made
to touch the horizon. To obtain the centre of the body this correction is applied.

CALCULATION OF TRUE ALTITUDE

Hs __ ° __'_ Sextant Altitude
IE ± __'_ Index Error
___________
Ho __ ° __'_ Observed Altitude
Dip - __'_ Dip Corrn
___________
Ha __ ° __'_ Apparent Altitude
Refr - __'_ Refraction Corrn
___________
Prlx + __ ° __'_ Parallax Corrn
SD ± __'_ Semi-Diameter ____ (L/Limb: + / U/Limb: -)
____________
Ht __ ° __'_ True Altitude

Compiled by : Capt. Naveen C Tewari, ARI Saket. New Delhi. (5/14) 7