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Sextant Height Sextant height (HJs) is the actual sextant reading at the time of a sextant sight, without any corrections applied. The degrees part is read from the sextant arc; the minutes part from the micrometer drum. Modern sextants give these angles in degrees, minutes, and tenths of a minute; older sextants are marked in degrees, minutes, and seconds. The Hs angle itself is the one between the two lines of sight, eye-to-horizon and eye-to-star. A sextant height can be to the upper or lower limb of the sun or moon. See Sextant Sight, High-Altitude Sights, and Rocking the Sextant. Abbreviation:  Hs

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