Sights
Until the age of satellite navigation ships usually took sights at dawn, during the forenoon, at noon (meridian transit of the Sun) and dusk. The morning and evening sights were taken during twilight while the horizon was visible and the stars, planets and/or moon were visible, at least through the telescope of a sextant. Two observations are always required to give a position accurate to within a mile under favourable conditions. Three are always sufficient.
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Famous quotes containing the word sights:
“You shall see men you never heard of before, whose names you don’t know,... and many other wild and noble sights before night, such as they who sit in parlors never dream of.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“We can’t always have the beautiful aspect of things. Let us make the most of our sights that are beautiful and let the others go”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“O Lord, methought what pain it was to drown,
What dreadful noise of waters in my ears!
What sights of ugly death within my eyes!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)