Astrolabes At Greenwich

Abstract The astrolabe is one of the most intriguing of all early scientific instruments. Invented by the Greeks, the design and construction of the astrolabe remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years as it passed through the Arabic, Indian, Persian, and Medieval European cultures. The astrolabe was the starting-point for the design of many other types of calculating and observing instruments in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. With 53 astrolabes, the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich houses one of the largest collections in the world. This number presents a fair balance between the Eastern (30) and the Western (23) instruments, with some exceptionally fine highlights in each group. This beautifully-produced large format book catalogues the astrolabes in the National Maritime Museum collection, and includes accompanying essays written by world experts in their fields. Published in series with 'Globes at Greenwich' and 'Sundials at Greenwich', this prestigious catalogue will appeal to collectors of such scientific instruments as well as academic historians of science.