Iran / Persia: A modern brass Iranian astrolabe, made in Tabriz in 2013, by Jacopo Koushan. Photo by Masoud Safarniya (CC BY-SA 3.0)

An astrolabe (Persian: اسطرلاب‎, Greek: ἀστρολάβος astrolabos, 'star-taker') is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and vice-versa, surveying, triangulation, and to cast horoscopes.

It was used in classical antiquity, the Islamic Golden Age, the European Middle Ages and Renaissance for all these purposes. In the Islamic world, it was also used to calculate the Qibla (direction of Mecca) and to find the times for salat / namaaz, prayers.

There is often confusion between the astrolabe and the mariner's astrolabe. While the astrolabe could be useful for determining latitude on land, it was an awkward instrument for use on the heaving deck of a ship or in wind. The mariner's astrolabe was developed to solve these problems.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

Masoud Safarniya

Credit:

Pictures From History

Theme:

ISLAMIC SCIENCE