sextant altitude

sextant altitude

[′sek·stənt ‚al·tə‚tüd] (navigation) Altitude as indicated by a sextant or similar instrument before corrections are applied.

sextant altitude

The altitude of a celestial body as measured by a sextant. It is the angle measured in a vertical plane between an artificial or sea horizon and a celestial body, without application of any corrections.