Exhibition: The Astrolabe, East and West


Sun and Moon

Only the mater of this astrolabe survives - not the rete or the latitude plates - but it demonstrates an ambitious interest in astronomy and the capacity of the astrolabe for dealing with the whole of the cosmos. The table of numbers inside the mater is used to calculate oppositions, conjunctions and eclipses of the sun and moon for the Spanish town of Zaragosa, referred to by its Latin name, Caesar Augusta. The back (not shown) has 13 concentric astronomical scales, including planetary data, and an unusual projection of the celestial sphere.
Closeup of Astrolabe Mater, attributed to Jacobus Valerius, Flanders?, 1558 (Inv. 48892) Full image of Astrolabe Mater, attributed to Jacobus Valerius, Flanders?, 1558 (Inv. 48892)
Astrolabe Mater, attributed to Jacobus Valerius, Flanders?, 1558 (Inv. 48892)
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