Octant

Octant marked: "Andrew Newell / Maker / Boston," about 1800. Independently invented in England and the United States in 1730s, the octant is a portable instrument for measuring the angle of the Sun, the Moon, or a star above the horizon. The instrument’s name comes from its scale, which is 45 degrees or 1/8th of a circle.

Caption:
Octant marked: "Andrew Newell / Maker / Boston," about 1800
Type: Artifact
Image Date: 2012
Credit: National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Origin: National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Creator: Jaclyn Nash
JN2012-1303
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Octant marked: "Andrew Newell / Maker / Boston," about 1800

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Octant marked: "Andrew Newell / Maker / Boston," about 1800

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Octant marked: "Andrew Newell / Maker / Boston," about 1800

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Octant marked: "Andrew Newell / Maker / Boston," about 1800