Author W M Smart, M.A., D.SC., F.R.A.S. (William Marshall Smart), (1889-1975) Regius Professor of Astronomy in the University of Glasgow, Instructor-Lieut. in the Royal Navy during World War I. and John Couch Adams Astronomer in the University of Cambridge. In 1943 he was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburg. From 1949-1951 he was President of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation. In 1958 he was awarded the Lorimer Medal of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh. The publisher firm, Longmans, Green & Co, was originally founded in 1724 in London by Thomas Longman under the name Longman. In August of that year, he bought the two shops and goods of William Taylor and set up his publishing house there at 39 Paternoster Row. The shops were called Black Swan and Ship, and it is said that the 'ship' sign was the inspiration for Longman's Logo. After many changes of name and management, the firm was incorporated in 1926 as Longmans, Green & Co. Pty Ltd. The firm was acquired by Pearson in 1968 and was known as Pearson Longman or Pearson PLC. The book was sold by Collins Book Depot which was founded by Frederick Henry (Harry) Slamen in 1922. In 1929 the form became a Proprietary Limited Company with an additional two stores, at 95 Elizabeth and 361 Swanston Streets, Melbourne. Collins Booksellers is still owned by the Stamen family. It is the largest Australian-owned bookselling chain.The book is significant due to its connection with navigation at sea. Its author W M Smart was a learned astronomer and an Instructor-Lieutenant for the Royal Navy during World War I. His achievements were recognised in 1958 when he was awarded the Lorimer Medal of the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh.A Handbook of Sea Navigation: The Theory & Practice of Astronomical Navigation at Sea, with diagrams and charts Author: W M Smart, M.A., D.SC., F.R.A.S. (William Marshall Smart) Publisher: Longmans, Green and Co Printer: Collins Book Depot Date: 1943 Textured green hardcover book. Inscriptions on the Fly page.Pencil: "12/6" [12 shillings 6 pence] Sticker: "G.F. Byrne / Faunce Crescent / O'Connor, A.C.T. / Australia 2001" Stamp: "COLLINS BOOK DEPOT PTY. LTD. / Technical Book Department / 361 Swanston St., Melb. G - - -"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, longmans green and co., thomas longman, paternoster row london, w m smart, william marshall smart, astronomer, navigator, professor of astronomy, 1943, g.f. byrne, collins book depot, technical book department, 361 swanston st., melbourne, frederick henry (harry) slamen, 361 swanston street melbourne, a handbook of sea navigation, maritime handbook, navigation instructiono, sea navigation

An octant is an astronomical instrument used in measuring the angles of heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon and stars at sea in relation to the horizon. This measurement could then be used to calculate the altitude of the body measured, and then the latitude at sea could also be calculated. The angle of the arms of an octant is 45 degrees, or 1/8 of a circle, which gives the instrument its name. Two men independently developed the octant around 1730: John Hadley (1682–1744), an English mathematician, and Thomas Godfrey (1704–1749), a glazier in Philadelphia. While both have a legitimate and equal claim to the invention, Hadley generally gets the greater share of the credit. This reflects the central role that London and the Royal Society played in the history of scientific instruments in the eighteenth and nineteenth century's. There were also two others who are attributed to having created octanes during this period, Caleb Smith, an English insurance broker with a strong interest in astronomy (in 1734), and Jean-Paul Fouchy, a mathematics professor and astronomer in France (in 1732) In 1767 the first edition of the Nautical Almanac tabulated lunar distances, enabling navigators to find the current time from the angle between the sun and the moon. This angle is sometimes larger than 90°, and thus not possible to measure with an octant. For that reason, Admiral John Campbell, who conducted shipboard experiments with the lunar distance method, suggested a larger instrument and the sextant was developed. From that time onward, the sextant was the instrument that experienced significant development and improvements and was the instrument of choice for naval navigators. The octant continued to be produced well into the 19th century, though it was generally a less accurate and less expensive instrument. The lower price of the octant, including versions without a telescope, made it a practical instrument for ships in the merchant and fishing fleets. One common practice among navigators up to the late nineteenth century was to use both a sextant and an octant. The sextant was used with great care and only for lunar sightings while the octant was used for routine meridional altitude measurements of the sun every day. This protected the very accurate and pricier sextant while using the more affordable octant for general use where it performs well. The invention of the octant was a significant step in providing accuracy of a sailors latitude position at sea and his vessels distance from land when taking sightings of land-based landmarks.Octant with metal handle, three different colored shades are attached, in wooden wedge-shaped box lined with green felt. Key is attached. Two telescope eyepieces are in box. Some parts are missing. Oval ink stamp inside lid of box, scale is graduated to 45 degrees. Ink stamp inside lid of box "SHIPLOVERS SOCIETY OF VICTORIA. LIBRARY"instrument, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, octant, navigation, nautical instrument, navigation instrument, john hadley, sextant, astronomical instrument