The Astrolabe is a mechanical instrument that can be used to calculate the positions of the stars and sun in the sky.

 Astrolabes are a visible part of a deep tradition of science and mathematics that was known before the Middle Ages.  Appearing before 100 BCE, the technology advanced significantly in the Islamic world. As it developed, many other calculating instruments were incorporated into it, and it became a major teaching tool for astronomers as it proliferated throughout Africa, Europe, and India. 

In this class, we’ll look at animations of the night sky to see the astronomical principles and problems known at the time. The breadth of locations where astrolabes were constructed shows just how widespread advanced knowledge of astronomy was.   We’ll see a bit of the mathematics needed to construct it and what calculations it can be used for.  Metal astrolabes also became status symbols, and the beauty of their mathematical patterns were embellished by instrument makers to produce works of art that survive to this day.