Octant
date: label: date made
content: late 18th century
notes: label: Description
content: This octant, which probably dates from the late eighteenth century, has a mahogany frame and index arm. The boxwood scale is graduated every 20 minutes from 0 to 90 degrees and read by transversals to 2 minutes of arc. The top of the scale is numbered counterclockwise for zenith distances. There is also a back sight and a back horizon glass that can be used to measure angles greater than 90°.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Navigation
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.314493
label: catalog number
content: 314493
label: accession number
content: 204107
objectType: label: Object Name
content: octant
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 7.6 cm x 37.8 cm x 46 cm; 3 in x 14 7/8 in x 18 1/8 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 in x 14 7/8 in x 18 1/4 in; 7.62 cm x 37.7825 cm x 46.355 cm