Accession No
2119
Brief Description
artificial horizon, by H. Hughes and Son, English, 1890 (c)
Origin
England; London; 59 Fenchurch Street
Maker
H. Hughes and Son
Class
navigation
Earliest Date
1890
Latest Date
1890
Inscription Date
Material
metal (mercury, cast iron); glass; wood (mahogany)
Dimensions
box breadth 193mm; depth 159mm; height 128mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Transferred from Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, 10/1975.
Inscription
‘S.P.O.
316’
‘SPD 316A’
‘... AST. LAB. 125’
‘H. HUGHES & SON, OPTICIANS,
59, FENCHURCH STREET, LONDON’ (maker’s plate in box)
Description Notes
Mercury artificial horizon. Cast iron trough with glazed sloping cover. Metal bottle with stopper and screw-fit cap. Fitted mahogany box.
References
Events
Description
Artificial horizon
An artificial horizon can be used in darkness, fog, or when the real horizon is obscured for any other reason. They were often used in conjunction with other instruments that need a horizontal level, such as a sextant or reflecting circle. There are records of use from the mid 16th century onwards.
The 2 basic types of artificial horizon were mercury with a glass cover – the top layer of the mercury always staying level (this type is not very practical for use on a ship) and bubble levels, where the position of bubbles in a liquid shows which way the axis is tilting.
18/10/2002
Created by: Saffron Clackson on 18/10/2002
FM:44153
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