Old instruments
Repeating Circle
Direct answer
Repeating Circle is a graduated full-circle instrument that accumulates repeated measures of the same angle.
Repeating Circle is a repetition-based angle circle used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Related
- Micrometer Eyepiece, Filar Micrometer, Artificial Horizon, Chronometer
Repeating Circle is a repetition-based angle circle used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
An engraved functional orientation; the page explains the real instrument, method, or publication.
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The story behind Repeating Circle
Repeating circles became influential in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century geodesy and precision angular astronomy.
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Why Repeating Circle matters
Repeating Circle matters because division errors and random reading noise can be reduced by distributing and averaging repetitions.
Repeating Circle in practice: an example
A surveyor can repeat an angle several times around the limb and divide the accumulated reading by the repetition count.
Where readings of Repeating Circle go wrong
Repetition cannot cancel a persistent alignment mistake, unstable setup, or misunderstood circle orientation.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- Royal Museums Greenwich: Astronomical and Navigational Instruments - Museum reference collection for historical observing, calculating, timekeeping, and navigation instruments.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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More in Historical Almanacs & Instruments
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Common questions
What is a repeating circle?
Repeating Circle is a graduated full-circle instrument that accumulates repeated measures of the same angle.
What do people get wrong about a repeating circle?
Repetition cannot cancel a persistent alignment mistake, unstable setup, or misunderstood circle orientation.
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