sextant

• 六分仪，一种用于测量天体（如太阳）与地平线之间角距离的导航仪器，以确定纬度和经度。

A noun referring to a navigational instrument used to measure the angular distance between celestial objects, such as the sun and the horizon, to determine latitude and longitude.

1. Angular unitC1formalscientific

   A unit of angular distance equal to 60 degrees, representing one-sixth of a full circle.

   六分仪

   • The sextant is used to measure angles up to 60 degrees.
   • In geometry, a sextant is one-sixth of a circle.
   • The ancient Greeks divided the circle into sextants.

2. Navigation instrumentB2formalscientific

   A measuring instrument used in navigation to determine the angular distance between celestial objects, such as the sun and the horizon, to calculate latitude and longitude.

   六分仪

   • The sailor used a sextant to find the ship's position at sea.
   • Modern GPS has largely replaced the traditional sextant.
   • He carefully adjusted the sextant to measure the angle of the North Star.