Talk:Astrolabe

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[edit] The name

What is the origin of the name "astrolabe"? Is it in anyway related to "astro", stars, or is this just a coincidence? Nyh 10:53, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

American Heritage Dictionary says: Middle English astrelabie, from Old French astrelabe, from Medieval Latin astrolabium, from Greek astrolabon, planisphere : astro-, astro- + lambanein, lab-, to take. — Sam 13:05, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Astrolabe

I wanted to confirm that astrolabes were once used to locate Makkah (Mecca) and I had to do a separate search to accomplish this. I think it might be helpful to add a link from the Astrolabe page to the Makkah page. Perhaps more precisely, it would link to the Qibla article, which does have a link to the Astrolabe article. I also noticed that there seems to be a discrepency in the spelling of qibah. ~~Donna, 15 June 2005

You are very welcome to include this information in the article itself. Sounds very interesting, sort of remiding of the way that the Chinese used compass for religious purpose as well. Thank you ! Rama 08:21, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Invention of metal astrolabe

I'm not convinced metal astrolabes were unknown before the 15th century. I was struck in the museum of history of science in Oxford by a beautiful example from around 950, somewhere in the Islamic world. However, I don't have the details to hand... if I can find them, I'll make the change. UncleKensson 21:53, 9 October 2005 (UTC) UncleKensson

Yes, the SOAS website has the oldest known dated brass astrolabe, some 500 years before Zacuto's. I'll change the text accordingly. UncleKensson 22:29, 9 October 2005 (UTC)UncleKensson


I found this page very interesting but hard to understand, you should make it clearer I still don't understand how an astrolabe works! ~ Summer Eldemire Jamaica

[edit] Kilroy

I was here! I'm going to fix these faulty references, unless someone else is faster. Said: Rursus 05:34, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Did some, more needed – the loose unnumbered references in References should be associated with a certain text position, when possible, and then moved there, to become surrounded by <ref>...blarefbla...</ref>. Said: Rursus 05:42, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Astrolabe vs sextant.

I question the accuracy of the second sentence of this article. The astrolabe was certainly an instrument that was well known and fairly well used in many parts of the old world and the orient (in the original sense), but it has never seemed to me to be a legitimate navigational instrument at sea. The Mariner's Astrolabe was developed in the late 15th c., but that is not the same as an astrolabe. It is a round, open-framed brass instrument with an alidade but lacking the planisphere and other components. The mariner's astrolabe was little used, though - only a few dozen are extant in collections today (G.L'E. Turner Antique Scientific Instruments. also see last paragraph here). The main instrument of navigation appears to be (from 1595) the John Davis (English explorer)'s Davis Quadrant, aka Backstaff - it was more accurate than the mariner's astrolabe and easier to use, especially for observations of the sun. The octant and later sextant replaced the Davis quadrant as far as I am aware.

The compass has an old history, dating in Europe to at least the 13th century. This time frame make the first statement a bit awkward.

It seems to me that a separate page for the mariner's astrolabe is required to eliminate some of the confusion.

Michael Daly 17:44, 21 August 2007 (UTC)


I've added an article on the mariner's astrolabe. I've changed this document to reflect the differences in the two instruments. Michael Daly 02:27, 27 August 2007 (UTC)