How to Use the Sextant
- 1). Point the sextant towards the horizon. Look through the eyepiece and adjust the focus until the image is clear and the reflected horizon lines up exactly with the one seen directly through the telescope. Take a note of the exact reading on the arc.
- 2). Choose a celestial body. During daylight hours this will be the sun. At night you can use the moon or a bright star.
- 3). Bring your chosen celestial body to the horizon by releasing the clamp and moving the arm. Fine tune the sextant using the micormeter until the body is just touching the horizon.
- 4). Sway the sextant from side to side gently to check the measurement and adjust accordingly using the micrometer.
- 5). Read the angle from the arc and record the exact time down to the second.
- 6). Adjust for accuracy by adding or subtracting the first reading from the second, depending on whether it was before or after the "0 degrees" mark. Use a celestial chart to determine your location.
Source...