The History and Mathematics Behind the Construction of the Islamic Astrolabe

In this paper, we examine the mathematical methods employed in the construction of the astrolabe, an ancient measuring device used to solve problems in the field of astronomy. Essentially, the astrolabe is a two dimensional representation of the heavens obtained by projecting the celestial sphere ont...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Urresta, Lyda P.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Union | Digital Works 2011
Subjects:
astrolabe
celestial plane
stereograph
projection
Astrophysics and Astronomy
Mathematics
Astrolabe
South Pole
South pole
Online Access:https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/1081
https://digitalworks.union.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2141&context=theses
Description
Summary:In this paper, we examine the mathematical methods employed in the construction of the astrolabe, an ancient measuring device used to solve problems in the field of astronomy. Essentially, the astrolabe is a two dimensional representation of the heavens obtained by projecting the celestial sphere onto the plane. Though several different types of astrolabes exist, our primary focus is on the most popular deisgn, which is created by the stereographic projection of the celestial sphere onto the plane defined by the equator with the south pole as the projection point.

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