Description
A History of the Navigator’s Sextant by C. H. Cotter describes how navigators learned to measure the altitude of celestial bodies from a vessel at sea. The book illustrates the problems that had to be solved before the sextant attained the form associated with classical astronomical navigation.
The presentation progresses from land-based astronomical instruments to the mariner’s quadrant, the mariner’s astrolabe, various staffs, and early reflection instruments. Hadley’s quadrant is treated as a direct predecessor to the modern sextant.
The sextant’s use in surveying and coastal navigation receives dedicated attention, along with attempts to develop an artificial horizon for use at sea. The conclusion also examines how the instruments were adapted for the needs of aviation.
This book is suitable for navigators, instrument enthusiasts, and readers of science and maritime history. It provides context and background for an instrument that has long been a symbol of the navigator’s profession.
The publication is in English and published by Brown, Son & Ferguson Ltd. Author: C. H. Cotter. ISBN: 9780851744278.
