Dictionary term
Sextant
Direct answer
Sextant: A Sextant is a double-reflection instrument used to measure the angular separation between two visible objects, most famously a celestial body and the horizon for navigation.
A Sextant measures an angle, often between a celestial body and the horizon.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Also appears in
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Quick reference
- Use when
- Use a Sextant only after checking index error and applying the corrections appropriate to the body, horizon, observer height, and atmospheric conditions.
- Do not use it for
- Never look at the Sun without the instrument's proper shades and training, and never rely on an unverified sight as the sole safety-critical position source.
- Reference category
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Related terms
- Almanac, Astronomical Almanac, Nautical Almanac, Astrolabe
The story behind Sextant
Eighteenth-century reflecting instruments developed into the marine sextant, whose stable optical geometry became central to practical celestial navigation.
Sextant in spiritual tradition
The sextant rewards steadiness: a small observed angle becomes useful only through disciplined timekeeping and correction.
The Great Almanac frames Sextant with educational restraint. Mystical or symbolic language may be meaningful, but it should not be exaggerated into certainty, panic, or permission to ignore ordinary responsibility.
Sextant in the Bible
This is a factual astronomy, calendar, Earth-science, cultural, or historical reference. It can support wonder at the created order without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Sextant in numerology
Sextant is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Sextant matters
Combined with exact time, almanac data, and corrections, a sextant observation can help determine a navigator's line of position without satellite navigation.
Example in a reading: A navigator brings the reflected lower limb of the Sun to the sea horizon, records the angle and UTC, then reduces the sight with almanac data.
Interpretive caution: Never look at the Sun without the instrument's proper shades and training, and never rely on an unverified sight as the sole safety-critical position source.
How Sextant is used in a reading
Use a Sextant only after checking index error and applying the corrections appropriate to the body, horizon, observer height, and atmospheric conditions.
Where interpretation stops
Sextant is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- Royal Museums Greenwich: Sextant - Museum documentation of a marine sextant used for solar and lunar observations and navigation.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical and Navigational Almanacs - Official description of current Astronomical Almanac and Nautical Almanac publications.
The page starts with a direct definition, then separates use, example, caution, spiritual meaning, and historical context. For astrology, occult, demonology, curse, and spiritual warfare terms, the editorial rule is to explain the term without making fear-based, fatalistic, medical, legal, financial, or ritual-instruction claims.
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These related entries help place Sextant inside a wider reference cluster instead of leaving it as a standalone keyword.
