Accession No
3383
Brief Description
cardboard model of Galileo’s astrolabe with explanatory material, by the Museum of the History of Science, Italian, 1983
Origin
Italy; Florence
Maker
Museum of the History of Science, Florence
Class
astronomy; demonstration; ephemera
Earliest Date
1983
Latest Date
1983
Inscription Date
1983
Material
paper (cardboard and 1 other); metal (brass); plastic (acetate)
Dimensions
breadth 258mm; height 228mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Donated, 01/1985. Purchased by donor from Museum of the History of Science, Florence. Made for sale in the Museum of the History of Science, Florence.
Inscription
‘L’ASTROLABIO DI GALILEO’ (on front cover)
‘MARCELLO FELLI
L’ASTROLABIO DI GALILEO
BANCA TOSCANA
Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza di Firenze’ (title page)
Description Notes
Cardboard and plastic model of Galileo’s astrolabe. An image of the mater and one of the plates has been made on an octagonal piece of card over which the rete has been marked on a transparent sheet of acetate. The cardboard alidade is pivoted to the centre by means of a brass pin. The astrolabe has a cardboard stand. The accompanying booklet gives details of the construction and use of astrolabes and has a pocket in the front cover for storing the instrument.
References
Events
Description
An astrolabe is a model of the heavens with the earth placed at the centre. A section of the heavens is projected on to the astrolabe. The co-ordinates of stars and planets are depicted on a grid called the rete. The earth is represented by latitude plates of which there are more than one. This is because the movement of the stars depends upon the latitude of the place from where the observation is made. Cambridge has a latitude of 52°, Rome 42°, Madrid 41° and Paris 49°. On each latitude plate, circles and lines are engraved, including the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the equator and a twilight line. The rete and latitude plates are housed within the mather which has a raised edge called the limb. On European astrolabes the limb is engraved with a degree scale showing 0° to 360° and / or a scale of 24 equal hours.
On the back of the astrolabe are engraved several scales including a calendar scale and a shadow square. On Islamic astrolabes extra scales and tables are engraved for finding the direction of Mecca (for times of prayer). At the back of the astrolabe is also the alidade (see diagram above). The alidade has sights through which an astronomer would take simple observations of the sun or of a particular star, to find the time of day or night. The sights can also be used for finding the heights of buildings, trees or hills.
From display label:
A cardboard and plastic model of an elegant astrolabe said to have belonged to the Galileo.
17/03/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 17/03/2014
FM:40808
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