Museo Galileo
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Plane astrolabe
    • Setting:
      Room II
    • Maker:
      unknown
    • Place:
      Italian
    • Date:
      1568
    • Materials:
      brass
    • Dimensions:
      diameter 250 mm
    • Inventory:
      1285
    • Plane astrolabe (Inv. 1285)
    • Plane astrolabe (Inv. 1285)

This astrolabe has three tympanums, two of which are made for latitudes 41° and 43° (Naples, Pisa) and 45° and 48° (Piacenza, Bavaria, and Vienna) respectively. The third tympanum carries: (1) on the front, a geographic planisphere, with equator, the tropics, and the names of the continents; (2) on the back, a degree scale, a zodiacal circle, a calendar, a diagram for converting equal hours into unequal hours, and a shadow square. A small magnetic compass is lodged in the throne, on which the year of construction is indicated. The back has a celestial planisphere with the orthographic projection of Juan de Rojas. The rule with an orthographic projection of the meridians lacks a cursor. Provenance: Vincenzo Viviani bequest.