0 a circular device used from ancient times until about the 18th century for measuring the position of stars, and on ships for calculating the ship's position:
The collection includes Islamic astrolabes made from the 11th through 16th centuries.
The astrolabe is a heavy brass ring marked into 360 degrees with a pivoting sighting rule attached at the centre.
Merchant princes of the Renaissance collected ancient artifacts, hand-printed books, fine furniture and beautifully made scientific devices, like astrolabes.
The astrolabe was recovered in 1999 from an underwater archaeological site at Passa Pau, Santiago.
His calculation for the maximum elevation of a rainbow was probably done with an astrolabe.
The oldest examples of instruments used for feng shui are "liuren" astrolabes, also known as "shi".
Astrolabes are inclinometers that were used for navigation and locating astronomical objects.
The first mentioned work deals with the use and construction of the astrolabe and is one of the oldest instructions for scientific instruments.
An astrolabe indicates the date and position of the moon, sun, and earth, as well as the stars.
