Which outcome commonly occurred when using 18th-century sextants without horizon mirrors on ships experiencing heavy pitching?

💡 Explanation

When a sextant without horizon mirrors is used on a pitching ship, random accelerations cause large errors in perceived horizon angles, creating inaccurate altitude measurements because the user cannot properly align their observations. Therefore, large reading errors are introduced, rather than bearing shifts, chronometer damage, or rudder jamming which involve different mechanisms or systems.

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