Sextants

Celestial navigation is probably the oldest method of determining position without landmarks. Over the centuries, remarkable methods and precision instruments have been developed for this purpose. The last mechanical instrument still used today is the sextant or drum sextant. In astronavigation, the sextant determines the vertical angle between a celestial body and the horizon. For coastal navigation it can also be used horizontally, e.g. to measure the distance from several landmarks. The micrometre drum represents the latest refinement of modern drum-type …

… sextants. With this kind of drum adapter, the angles in degrees, minutes and tenths of a minute can effortlessly be read off. Older vernier sextants, on the other hand, are equipped with a graduated arc called a vernier. At Toplicht you will find simple sextants for practising and learning made of plastic, lightweight yacht sextants made of aluminium, noble semi-horizon and full-horizon sextants designed for professional use, illumination for sextants and artificial horizons.