Discover Top Posts Tagged with #spherical astrolabe

ARMILLARY SPHERE CANDELABRA

Vintage wrought iron Armillary Sphere or Spherical Astrolabe candelabra .Swiveling concentering rings . Seven light candelabra.

Item No. E5697

Dimensions: 41″ high x 26″ wide

List Price: $ 650

504.581.3733 / t

[email protected] / e

#antiques #wrought iron candelabra #astrolabe #armillary #armillary sphere #candle lights #spherical astrolabe #lighting #architectural antiques #interior decor #garden antiques #interior design #nola #new orleans antiques #magazine street

The spherical astrolabe, 1898

The spherical astrolabe, also called the Mechanical Navigator, assisted navigators on the ocean by helping measure the location of celestial bodies relative to the location of the user. On this Navigator note the three vertices: the pole, the zenith, and the observed body. While these were not frequently used on the ocean for navigation, they were frequently used to teach navigation. While latitude was easily determined by calculating the altitude of the sun, longitude was a more difficult to determine and not effectively solved until lunar distance calculations were done in the mid 1700’s. The first chronometers to determine longitude were not developed until the early 1800’s.

#naval navigation #spherical astrolabe #late 19th century #age of steam