Astrolabe
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An astrolabe is an astronomical instrument dating to ancient times. It serves as a star chart and physical model of the visible half-dome of the sky. Its various functions also make it an elaborate in
North African, 9th century ce, planispheric astrolabe. Khalili Collection.
A modern astrolabe made in 2013, in Tabriz, Iran.
16th-century woodcut of the measurement of a building's height with an astrolabe
A modern reconstruction of the spherical astrolabe of Ptolemy, 2nd C.E., in Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, Athens.
Mariner's astrolabe
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The mariner's astrolabe, also called sea astrolabe, was an inclinometer used to determine the latitude of a ship at sea by measuring the sun's noon altitude or the meridian altitude of a star of known
Astrolabe
…the sextant, is effective for determining latitude on land or calm seas. Although it is less reliable on the heaving deck of a ship in rough seas, the mariner's astrolabe was developed to solve that problem. The 10th century astronomer ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ṣūfī wrote a massive text of 386 chapters on the astrolabe, which…
Three Mariner's Astrolabes in the Museum of the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira; Lagos, Portugal
Mariner's astrolabe from circa 1600.
Mariner's astrolabe made in 1645 by Nicolao Ruffo at The Mariners' Museum
Sodré astrolabe, the oldest mariner's astrolabe in National Museum of Oman, Muscat