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 Astrolabe |
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An astrolabe is a two-dimensional model of the celestial sphere. It is both an important scientific instrument and a work of art. The kufic script engraved on its many surfaces enabled the user to tell time during the day or night, find the time of sunrise and sunset, and locate celestial objects in the sky.
A "projected" map of the celestial sphere was engraved on the flat plate of the astrolabe. This allowed many astronomical problems to be solved in a very visual way.
The scientific principles that led to the development of the astrolabe were known in classical Greece before 150 B.C. Descriptions of these instruments appeared in Greek texts written in the sixth and seventh centuries. The astrolabe, through translations of these texts, travelled to the World of Islam in the eighth and ninth centuries. There, Muslim astronomers recognised the potential of this instrument. They revisited existing geographical and mathematical data and developed the astrolabe into a much more complex and accurate instrument. In particular, they designed it to serve as an aid in finding the direction to Mecca and identifying prayer times.
Muslim astronomers built observatories and produced many treatises that contributed significantly to the development of astronomy. By the 12th century Latin translations of these carried the knowledge of Muslim astronomy and the astrolabe through North Africa into Spain and from there into the rest of Europe. In many ways this instrument is a good example of how science can advance when ideas and knowledge are shared.
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