Astra Metal Sextant
The Astra IIIB has somewhat revolutionized celestial navigation. Never before has such a high quality, accurate metal sextant been available at such a low price. Over 18,000 sextants of this model have been sold in the US alone in the past 20 years; far more than any other serious sextant. Its popularity has spread throughout the rest of the world as well, making it the the most recognized (and supported) sextant worldwide.
Its low price, excellent optics, makes it the perfect selection for beginners. Yet, we know several professional navigators who prefer the ASTRA IIIB merely because they can leave their expensive models at home without sacrificing noticeable accuracy. The Astra IIIB is made by the Changzhou Celestaire Instrument Co. in China, with whom Celestaire is joint-ventured, and it is produced in accordance with our specific quality guidelines.