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Burkhard Stautz1

  • 1Institut für Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Robert Mayer-Straße 1, D-60054, Frankfurt am Main. B.Stautz@em.uni-frankfurt.de.

NTM
|October 16, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Medieval European astrolabes reveal misunderstandings in star tables. Analysis of a 1420 astrolabe shows copied errors from John of London's 1246 star table, impacting celestial navigation accuracy.

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Area of Science:

  • History of Science
  • Medieval Astronomy
  • Instrumental Analysis

Background:

  • A 1420 European astrolabe, of German private property, displays star positions.
  • The astrolabe's features suggest a reliance on John of London's 1246 star table.
  • Its design elements bear resemblance to early Western Islamic astrolabes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the star positions and inscriptions on a 1420 European astrolabe.
  • To investigate the sources and accuracy of medieval European star tables.
  • To explore the influence of Islamic astronomical traditions on European astrolabe construction.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of astrolabe star positions and names against historical star tables.
  • Examination of the astrolabe's physical features, including the rete, aequinoctial bar, inscriptions, and alidade sundial.

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  • Identification of stylistic similarities with known Islamic astrolabes.

    • Main Results:

    • The astrolabe's star data originates from John of London's 1246 star table, indicating widespread copying and potential misunderstanding of astronomical data.
    • Specific design elements of the astrolabe, such as star pointers and inscriptions, show connections to early Western Islamic astrolabes.
    • Engraved latitude curves for 45° are present, but the markings denote different latitudes, highlighting inaccuracies.

    Conclusions:

    • Medieval European astronomical practices involved significant transmission errors and misunderstandings of star tables.
    • The astrolabe serves as a tangible example of the complex interplay between Islamic and European astronomical knowledge.
    • Discrepancies in astrolabe markings underscore the challenges in maintaining accurate celestial navigation during the medieval period.