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FunctionA nocturnal was used for telling the time at night by the circumpolar stars. To use the Big Dipper, the index "GB" on the inner disk is aligned with the correct date. With the instrument held upright, the Pole star is then sighted through the hole and the large index rotated to align with the guards of the Big Dipper. The intersection of the index with the inner ring shows the time. The Regiment of the North Star told mariners how far above of below the Pole Star was true north so that they could correct their latitude observations.
Historical AttributesBelonged to General Anthony Wayne
ProvenanceGeneral Anthony Wayne, van Artsdalen Family, 4 November 1900; Harrold E. Gillingham Collection, 1925 (inv. no. 69); David P. Wheatland, Topsfield, MA, 1949; gift to CHSI c. 1985.