Crossword clues for astrolabe
astrolabe
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Astrolabe \As"tro*labe\ ([a^]s"tr[-o]*l[=a]b), n. [OE. astrolabie, astrilabe, OF. astrelabe, F. astrolabe, LL. astrolabium, fr. Gr. 'astrola`bon; 'a`stron star + ?, ?, to take.]
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(Astron.) An instrument for observing or showing the positions of the stars. It is now disused.
Note: Among the ancients, it was essentially the armillary sphere. A graduated circle with sights, for taking altitudes at sea, was called an astrolabe in the 18th century. It is now superseded by the quadrant and sextant.
A stereographic projection of the sphere on the plane of a great circle, as the equator, or a meridian; a planisphere.
--Whewell.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Wiktionary
n. An astronomical and navigational instrument for gauging the altitude of the Sun and stars.
WordNet
n. an early form of sextant
Wikipedia
An astrolabe (Arabic: أسطرلاب, ) is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and vice versa, surveying, and triangulation. It was used in classical antiquity, the Islamic Golden Age, the European Middle Ages and Renaissance for all these purposes. In the Islamic world, it was also used to calculate the Qibla and to find the times for Salat prayers.
There is often confusion between the astrolabe and the mariner's astrolabe. While the astrolabe could be useful for determining latitude on land, it was an awkward instrument for use on the heaving deck of a ship or in wind. The mariner's astrolabe was developed to solve these problems.
An astrolabe is an astronomical instrument.
Astrolabe may also refer to:
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, one of several French ships
- Astrolabe Bay, a large body of water off the northern coast Papua New Guinea
- Astrolabe Company, German colonial society
- Astrolabe Island, island in the Bransfield Strait, northwest of Cape Ducorps, Trinity Peninsula, Antarctica
- Astrolabe Lake, lake in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
- Astrolabe languages, group of Austronesian languages of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea
- Astrolab, an astronomy museum associated with the Mont Mégantic Observatory in Mont Mégantic Park, Québec, Canada
- Mariner's astrolabe, a navigational tool that differs from a proper astrolabe
- The son of Abelard and Heloise, called Astralabius in Latin. (This name is usually spelled Astralabe in English, but occasionally Astrolabe. Heloise named him after the astronomical instrument.)
Usage examples of "astrolabe".
So I spoke readily enough with the captain of my vessel about the sea compass and the meridian compass, the astrolabe and the cross-staff, but when I discoursed with him upon eccentricity and parallax, he told me in a few words that he was master of ebbs or floods and not of instruments.
Here also is my hour-glass to measure the time of my studies justly, and the universal astrolabe new minted by Thomas Hill in Cheapside.
Rufus in particular loved to work the Astrolabe, when it was not in use, and he has also learned, much to my Astonishment, quite a Lot of the Mathematical Calculation necessary for plotting the Orbits of Stars and Planets.
It was a package, wrapped in what appeared to be an oiled animal skin much like the one Aimard had used to protect the astrolabe, and tied with leather thongs.
The woman was holding an old-fashioned astrolabe, the tool port astrologers had used to calculate relative planetary positions and the intersecting harmonic envelopes.
He rotated the tiny astrolabe with his fingers until a bronze pointer fastened to its center pivot had risen above the curving equator of the rete.
The presentation of the astrolabe, which he now repocketed, had been a fascinating diversion from which Sparta had learned nothing germane to her case.
She set the astrolabe on the shelf, rested bow and quiver in the corner, and hung the partridges from the rafters.
Hugh sat outside with the astrolabe in his hands, turning it over, spinning the alidade, tracing the lines on the plates with his fingers, and obviously having no idea how to use it even to tell time.
He abandoned his scientific studies, gave away his astrolabe and his books and star charts, filled his office with texts on kingship and statecraft, on law and governing.
Navigation and Communications Division, which would have had about as much relevance to the changed circumstances as an astrolabe on the command deck of one of the Jupiter mission ships.
The governess was always getting muddled with her astrolabe, and when she got specially muddled she would take it out of the Wart by rapping his knuckles.
Now I may well wish that I had been a good boy, and not angered the governess when she got muddled with her astrolabe, and had loved my dear guardian Sir Ector as much as he deserved.
Sailors could tell their latitude by the angle of the sun off the horizon, had been doing it for a thousand years with cross-staffs, astrolabes, octants and sextants.
I dump my cloak and bag on the floor among the astrolabes, charts, test tubes, herbs, potions and books that form the standard paraphernalia of a working Sorcerer.