Astrolabe Catalogue

 

Small image of astrolabe rete separated from astrolabe. Click to enlarge.
Date ca. 1600
Maker Philippe Danfrie (?)
Place Paris (?)
Material Brass
Inventory no. 35082
Acquisition Presented by Lewis Evans in 1924
The rete is of the other (ornate) type. The strapwork on this rete resembles that found on astrolabes from the Louvain workshops. The scripts show quite a lot of variablity. Extensive use is made of shading to suggest a 3-D effect, both on the lattice and on the star pointers; the over-all effect is of interwoven lattice (trompe l’oeil) .The zodiac on the rete is labelled: Aries ♈ , Taurus ♉ , Gemini ♊ , Cancer ♋ , Leo ♌ , Virgo ♍ , Libra ♎ , Scorpius ♏ , Sagitarius ♐ , Capricornus ♑ , Aquarius ♒ , Pisces ♓

Scales


Type Range & Units Numbered Geometry Location
Ecliptic 0 - 30 Degrees of ecliptic Every 10  Ecliptic ecliptic

Stars

There are 41 stars on the rete marked with flamant pointers. Unless otherwise indicated the star name, mediation and declination are as marked/measured on the rete.
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
Umbelicus Andromeda * Mirach 4.0° of Aries 37° flamant
CAVDA CETI 3* Deneb Kaitos 6.0° of Aries -19° flamant
Venter ceti 3* Baten Kaitos 25.0° of Aries -12° flamant
Nasus ceti * 9.0° of Taurus -12° flamant
2 Caput Meduse Algol 13.0° of Taurus 40° flamant
pes Dextri 14.0° of Taurus 47° flamant
Oculus Tauri *1 Aldebaran 4.0° of Gemini 16° flamant
hircus 1* Capella 13.0° of Gemini 45° flamant
cinister pes orion Rigel 15.0° of Gemini -9° flamant
Dex pes Orion 21.0° of Gemini -19° flamant
Dex humerus Orio *2 Betelgeuse 24.0° of Gemini flamant
Canis Maior 1* Sirius 8.0° of Cancer -10° flamant
procior 16.0° of Cancer -14° flamant
Canis minor 1 Procyon 20.0° of Cancer flamant
Lucida hidre Alphard 15.0° of Leo -5° flamant
Alphard Alphard 22.0° of Leo -21° flamant
Cor Leonis *1 Regulus 27.0° of Leo 12° flamant
Urse Maio Merak 16.0° of Virgo 57° flamant
hume Ursue Maior 2* Alioth 17.0° of Virgo 63° flamant
Spica Virginis Spica 18.0° of Virgo -9° flamant
Fund casis * Alkes 18.0° of Virgo -23° flamant
Cauda leonis Denebola 19.0° of Virgo 17° flamant
Cauda Ursa Maior * Alkaid 24.0° of Virgo 51° flamant
Arcturus Bootes 1* Arcturus 2.0° of Scorpio 23° flamant
Lceo Scorpio 2.0° of Scorpio -23° flamant
Borealis * Zubeneshamali 19.0° of Scorpio -7° flamant
Lucia Coronnis * Alphecca 20.0° of Scorpio 30° flamant
Os Lupi * 27.0° of Scorpio -13° flamant
Cor Scorpionis Antares 4.0° of Sagittarius -23° flamant
Caput hercules * Rasalgethi 16.0° of Sagittarius 17° flamant
Caput Ophuchi 3* Rasalhague 20.0° of Sagittarius 15° flamant
Sagitti Sagitarius Celbalrai 26.0° of Sagittarius -6° flamant
Caput Draco Rastaban 28.0° of Sagittarius 51° flamant
Vultur Cadens * Vega 5.0° of Capricorn 39° flamant
Aquila Volans 2* Altair 24.0° of Capricorn 10° flamant
Cauda Signi 2* Deneb 10.0° of Aquarius 43° flamant
Cauda Caprico 3* Deneb Algiedi 16.0° of Aquarius -17° flamant
Geula pegase * Enif 19.0° of Aquarius flamant
Crus AQVARI * Skat 5.0° of Pisces -18° flamant
Pes pegase * Scheat 11.0° of Pisces 25° flamant
Caput Andromeda 3 Alpheratz 28.0° of Pisces 26° flamant

Nut & Bolt

The rete is attached using a nut & bolt. The pin is probably a replacement, and perhaps also the nut.
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