Follow the stars

This wooden scientific instrument is a reproduction of a 17th century octant. It was used to determine the latitude of a ship by measuring the angular distances and the height of the stars. It consists of mirrors, a set of coloured lenses and a graduated mobile alidad decorated with arabesques. The octant is presented in a red box that also contains a description of how the instrument works.

Encouraged by Louis XVI, the major expeditions undertaken by Bougainville and La Pérouse in the 17th and 18th centuries explored unknown regions of the Earth.

Materials : wood, brass
Dimensions : L 34 x W 27,5 x H 7 cm