Astrolabe Catalogue

 

Small image of astrolabe rete separated from astrolabe. Click to enlarge.
Date 18th century
Place Persia (?)
Material Brass
Inventory no. 50180
Acquisition Presented by J. A. Billmeir in 1957
The rete is of the foliate (single knob) type. The back of the rete shows various construction marks: circles for the ecliptic, tropics and equator..The zodiac on the rete is labelled: حمل , ثور , جوزا , سرطان , اسد , سنبله , ميزان , عقرب , قوس , جدي , دلو , حوت

Stars

There are 16 stars on the rete marked with foliate 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
12.0° of Aries 40° foliate
6.0° of Taurus -8° foliate
عين ثور Aldebaran 6.0° of Gemini 19° foliate
شامى Procyon 18.0° of Cancer 13° foliate
فرد Alphard 12.0° of Leo -8° foliate
0.0° of Virgo 62° foliate
جناح غراب Gienah 24.0° of Virgo -11° foliate
اعزل Spica 18.0° of Libra -5° foliate
رامح Arcturus 4.0° of Scorpio 29° foliate
حز 22.0° of Scorpio 13° foliate
حوا Rasalhague 24.0° of Sagittarius 19° foliate
واقع Vega 12.0° of Capricorn 44° foliate
طاير Altair 23.0° of Capricorn 13° foliate
8.0° of Pisces -10° foliate
ذنب 0.0° of Pisces foliate
حد 0.0° of Pisces 57° foliate

Horse Image:

astrolabe part (photo)

Horse Image:

astrolabe part (photo)

Pin & Horse

The rete is attached using a pin & horse. Plain pin with a crude horse-shaped wedge..
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