ION Navigation
Museum
Octant
Item Details
Manufacturer: Joseph ROUX (1725-1793) of Marseilles
Manufactured: ca 1780
Description:
Ebony octant with scale graduated from -3°-99° in 20'. Features three shades (two red, one green), no horizon shades, and sight vane with two holes.
Ebony octant with scale graduated from -3°-99° in 20'. Features three shades (two red, one green), no horizon shades, and sight vane with two holes.
Item History:
Invented concurrently by Thomas Godfrey and John Hadley in early 1730s, replacing earlier navigation instruments. Used to measure celestial angles up to 90 degrees for maritime navigation. Materials: Ebony body, Bone/ivory scale inlay.
Invented concurrently by Thomas Godfrey and John Hadley in early 1730s, replacing earlier navigation instruments. Used to measure celestial angles up to 90 degrees for maritime navigation. Materials: Ebony body, Bone/ivory scale inlay.
Location/Ownership: The Mariners' Museum
Submission Author: Jeanne Willoz-Egnor, The Mariners' Museum
ION Museum
Advancing Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT)
© 1995-2025, The Institute of Navigation, Inc. Privacy Policy and Terms of Service