TITLE:
Geometric Instruments for the Orientation and Measurement: The Astrolabes
AUTHORS:
Barbara Aterini
KEYWORDS:
Astrolabe, Stereographic Projection, Measuring Instruments, Astronomy
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Historical Studies,
Vol.8 No.1,
March
19,
2019
ABSTRACT: The astrolabe, stereographic projection of the
celestial sphere on the plane of the equator, simulates the apparent rotation
of this sphere around the Earth, with respect to a certain latitude, and allows
to establish the relative position of the stars at a given moment. To
understand its meaning and use it is necessary to recall out the main elements
of astronomical geography. From the III century BC onwards, various types of
astrolabe were built. Among the tools used in the course of the centuries for
orientation and measurement, it is the one that perfectly performed both
functions, providing measurements related to different fields of investigation:
astronomy, chronometry, orientation, measurements (length-height-depth),
astrology.