Astrolabe Catalogue

 

Small image of astrolabe back with rules or alidades removed. Click to enlarge.
Date 1551
Maker Anthoine Mestrel
Place Paris
Material Brass
Inventory no. 32378
Acquisition Presented by J. A. Billmeir in 1957

Back


The back bears a de Rojas projection.

Universal

The back contains a universal with a De Rojas projection. The universal contains the following:
Angle of inclination Direction of inclination Labelled Language Script Line style Notes
Ecliptic 23 Top-right/bottom-left Plain
Tropic of Cancer N/A HORÆ ANTE MERIDIEM Latin Roman Capital Hatched
Tropic of Capricorn N/A HORÆ POST MERIDIEM Latin Roman Capital Hatched
Prime meridian N/A Zodiacal symbols Plain
Arctic circle N/A POLVS ARCTICVS Latin Roman Capital Plain The circle (often represented as a line or arc) at 66.5°. These are commonly found on universal projections
Arctic circle N/A POLVS ANTACTICVS Latin Roman Capital Plain The circle (often represented as a line or arc) at 66.5°. These are commonly found on universal projections
The universal contains the following meridians:
Interval Style of line Number style Description
Plain N/A The hour lines are decorated with arrows and dots
The universal contains the following parallels:
Range Interval Style of line Number style Description
  Plain N/A Every 30° line is hatched
90 to 180 10° Plain N/A

The universal contains scales of the following types:
Type Range & Units Numbered Geometry Location
Degree 0 - 90, Degrees Every 5 degrees Circular, concentric The entire outer circle on the back of an astrolabe.

Stars

The universal contains the following stars. Click on the star name or modern star name to search for other astrolabes with the same star.
Star name
(on instrument)
Modern star
(if known)
Mediation Declination Pointer
CAPVT ♊ ANTECEDENTIS Castor N/A N/A engraved
LVCIDA YDRÆ Alphard N/A N/A engraved
AQVILA Altair N/A N/A engraved
ERTRE CAVDE VRSÆ MAIO Alkaid N/A N/A engraved
HIRCVS Capella N/A N/A engraved
VENTER CETI Baten Kaitos N/A N/A engraved
CYGNVS Deneb N/A N/A engraved
CAMS MAI Sirius N/A N/A engraved
OCVLVS TAVRI Aldebaran N/A N/A engraved
POSTREMA FVSIONIS AQVE Fomalhaut N/A N/A engraved
DERTER BVMER ORION Betelgeuse N/A N/A engraved
COR LEONIS Regulus N/A N/A engraved
COR SCRPI Antares N/A N/A engraved
SPICA VIRGINIS Spica N/A N/A engraved
CANIS MINOR Procyon N/A N/A engraved
CAVDA LEONIS Denebola N/A N/A engraved
CAVDA CAPRICORNII Deneb Algiedi N/A N/A engraved
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