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Mariner's Astrolabe
Portable metal instrument used by late 16th-century European mariners to measure the altitude of the sun or stars, deriving latitude from celestial a…
Timeline
- 1595Lisbon · LisbonCraftsmen in Lisbon, Seville, and elsewhere mass-cast bronze mariner's astrolabes with graduated scales, fitted with alidades and suspension rings, for royal navies and private merchant ships.
- c. 1592–1598Atlantic Ocean · Atlantic OceanMariners observed the noon sun's altitude or the pole star's elevation on deck with the astrolabe, computing latitude from solar declination tables, supporting ocean navigation by treasure fleets and exploration fleets.
- c. 1596–1600Amsterdam · AmsterdamBy the turn of the century the mariner's astrolabe remained the most reliable latitude instrument, used alongside compass and charts; Dutch instrument workshops also began producing improved astrolabes for northern European merchant ships.
Sources
- The History of the Telescope — Henry C. King (2003)
- Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time — Dava Sobel (1995)