An interesting device from the Middle Ages. Scientists have proven its unknown use

Arab sailors were the first to use the astrolabe, although the invention of this device is attributed to Hypatia of Alexandria, who was active at the turn of the fourth and fifth centuries. It was even used by Nicolaus Copernicus, the famous author of the heliocentric theory. Based on this, we can conclude that we are talking about a tool that allows determining the location of celestial bodies on the horizon.

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Although the astrolabe has lost its usefulness today (in fact it already happened in the 18th century, when the sextant was invented), it is gaining popularity for another reason. It is a delicious treat for collectors who delight in the accuracy of these devices and their amazing historical charm.

While searching for these interesting devices, scientists came to a surprising conclusion. It seems possible to date these objects. And in a somewhat unexpected way, because it depends on… the positions of the stars on the surface of the astrolabe. The findings in this issue were reached by Emmanuel Davost, and his conclusions are available in article form Form of advance edition. The object of his interest was an apparatus housed in the Paul Dupuis Museum in Toulouse.

An astrolabe is a device used to locate celestial objects on the horizon. It was used by sailors and astronomers, including Nicolaus Copernicus

The astrolabe includes elements such as: network (flat projection of the celestial sphere) and materialthat it A dial that allows us to determine the height of a star above the horizon. A typical navigation device has specific star positions so that it can determine its location in the sky. In the case of the astrolabe covered by the research, 34 such sites were considered.

Please remember that the stars move across the sky. Therefore, its location will not be the same over the centuries. This creates an opportunity to determine when a particular astrolabe was created. It is enough to determine the year in which this formation of visible celestial bodies in the sky exists.

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To achieve this goal, Davoust took a photograph of the grid and proceeded to determine the coordinates of each of the 34 pointers. He later examined the star catalog used in the design of other famous astrolabes and tried to match the pattern closest to the one he recognized in the Toulouse instrument. During this extraordinary investigation, he determined that the best match was the 1550 equinox. This means that the astrolabe described was created around the middle of the 16th century. As you can see, a variety of techniques can be used to date objects far back in time.