The solar compass was invented by William Austin Burt; he patented it on February 25, 1836. In the 19th century, the solar compass would be employed for surveying the land, where regular compasses were susceptible to the abundances of minerals that made for inaccurate readings. Primarily operational by the location of the sun and moon, the solar compass enabled surveyors to run more accurate lines, saving its user valuable time.

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