An astrolabe consists of a disk with a wide, raised rim, called the mater (mother), which is deep enough to hold one or more flat plates called tympans, or climates. A tympan is made for a specific latitude and is engraved with a stereographic projection of circles denoting azimuth and altitude and representing the portion of the celestial ...

Mater and Plates Disassembled astrolabe showing its various pieces; the rete on top left, the recessed mater on top right, and the plates, alidade, pin, and horse at the bottom. Photo by Evan Bench via Flickr.

The mater (Latin for mother) is the main body of the astrolabe. The edge of the mater is called the limb, on which are the degree scale and scale of hours are engraved. The hollowed-out part of the mater is called the womb and contains the latitude plates. Plate

2024年12月31日 · astrolabe, any of a type of early scientific instrument used for reckoning time and for observational purposes. One widely employed variety, the planispheric astrolabe, enabled astronomers to calculate the position of the Sun and prominent stars with respect to both the horizon and the meridian.

Astrolabes are elaborate astronomical instruments, combining a mechanical model of the sky's rotation with a simple sight, which can be used to make observations of the elevation of objects above the horizon. Put together, these tools allow the user to tell the time, identify objects in the sky, and predict when objects will rise and set.

Astrolabes were traditionally shipped with a set of plates, spaced 5° apart, for use around the world. There are two conventions used for the Azimuth markings; one is traditionally based on degrees from the Meridian, and the other uses degrees from North.

2025年1月18日 · Astrolabe made by Ibrahīm ibn Sa’īd as-Sahlī, from Toledo, Spain, 1068 CE. Source: Museum of the History of Science, Oxford ... On top of the plate, a rete is placed, which is a cut-out plate with star pointers to mark the relative locations of certain stars. This can be rotated on top of the plate to create a star map.

Below are all the instruments I currently make: Larger ones (about 10″ diameter), L-R: Planispheric Astrolabe with traditional rete, Planispheric Astrolabe with acrylic rete, Universal Astrolabe (Saphea Arzachelis). Smaller ones, L-R: Lunar …

Find many varieties of an authentic astrolabe plate available at 1stDibs. A astrolabe plate — often made from paper, ceramic and porcelain — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect astrolabe plate — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are ...

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