In researching the astrolabe and related tools, geometric construction comes up regularly. I find the process of using a straight edge and compass to create accurate designs to be fascinating in and of itself. One of my ongoing projects is drafting an astrolabe using just those tools. The other day I ran across a fascinating […]
Even though I haven’t been posting, I have been busy. In addition to the changes to the Astrolabe Generator mentioned in the previous post, I was asked to teach a class at a small gathering of medieval reenactors last month, and so had to to get my class handout updated ahead of schedule, and a […]
The first step in drafting the astrolabe climate plate is to lay out the Tropics and the Equator, along with the meridian. As these markings will be the same for all the plates, it makes sense to draw each line on all the plates before moving on to the next line. This way, I can […]
The unequal hours arcs have now been added to the back of the astrolabe. With the exception of what little decoration I’m planning, this completes work on the back of the project. With the front and the back now finished, the next step is designing a set of climate plates. Doing five of those will […]