European Planispheric Astrolabe
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
The astrolabe is an astronomical calculating device used from ancient times into the eighteenth century. Measuring the height of a star using the back of the instrument, and knowing the latitude, one could find the time of night and the position of other stars. The openwork piece on the front, called the rete, is a star map of the northern sky. Pointers on the rete correspond to stars; the outermost circle is the Tropic of Capricorn, and the circle that is off-center represents the zodiac, the apparent annual motion of the sun. Engraved plates that fit below the rete have scales of altitude and azimuth (arc of the horizon) for specific latitudes. This brass astrolabe has a ring, a back plate, a throne, a handle, a ring, four plates, a rete, an alidade, a pin, a wedge, and an index arm. It is signed M. P. and dated 1542.
National Museum of American History’s own description
