Post #2208421
2026-03-11 14:45 UTC
@olasd@mastodon.opportunis.me @OscarCunningham@mathstodon.xyz @johncarlosbaez@mathstodon.xyz the part about sextants being used for measuring azimuth is odd -- you almost never use them horizontal and would use a transit to instead.
Replies (2)
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@th@social.v.st 2026-03-11 14:49
@olasd@mastodon.opportunis.me @OscarCunningham@mathstodon.xyz @johncarlosbaez@mathstodon.xyz if you are in the 1800s and can't afford fancy chronometers, you might measure the distance from the sun to the moon with your sextant to correct your inaccurate clock, but that's the only time I've done anything other than vertical height angles.
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@Ripp_@chitter.xyz 2026-03-12 14:23
@th@social.v.st @olasd@mastodon.opportunis.me @OscarCunningham@mathstodon.xyz @johncarlosbaez@mathstodon.xyz this was my first thought too, well after I looked up the azimuth because I can never remember the names for all the angles, but my RuneScape days exposed me to a sextant and I love them so I sure has heck know what they do