Yes; An astrolabe is a star map drawn on a metal plate.
A sextant is a device used to determine a ship's latitude by measuring the angle between the horizon and the celestial body, typically the sun or a star. This information is then used in conjunction with nautical charts to calculate the ship's position on the Earth's surface.
The basic principle of the astrolabe is the measurement of angles; that's all it does. Weather doesn't really affect it. HOWEVER.... if you are measuring the visual angle between two objects, you have to be able to SEE both objects. So when used for celestial navigation or cartography, weather often plays a part, by obscuring your view of one or both objects. In celestial navigation, the "objects" are the star or planet whose altitude angle you want to measure, and the line of the horizon. In cloudy weather, you often can't see the Sun, much less any of the other objects in the sky.
Early astronomers used devices like the astrolabe and the sextant to find the altitude of a star. The astrolabe, which dates back to ancient Greece, allowed astronomers to measure the angle of celestial bodies above the horizon. The sextant, developed later, is more precise for measuring angular distances and was particularly useful for navigation at sea. Both instruments played a crucial role in understanding the positions of stars and planets.
Many instruments have been called 'astrolabes' through the centuries. The name comes from the Greek meaning 'star taker'. The instrument that is most commonly referred to by the name astrolabe is more properly called a planispheric astrolabe. It's an instrument that is essentially a computer -- or maybe more accurately a circular slide rule -- that displays the sky. The astrolabe came in many different forms with the earliest existing examples coming from about the year 1000, though various descriptions exist that suggest they have existed much longer. A typical model would have a series of plates that each represent a single latitude. The plate shows the horizon and has markings to show how high something is above the horizon and it's position east and west (the azimuth). This is overlaid by a 'rete' (Latin for 'net') that has pointers for the positions of stars. By positioning a given star (or sun) at it's observed position. The astrolabe is then set for the condition of the sky at the time of the observation. It doesn't have the ability to show where the planets are, however. The position of the sun can be determined by from a calendar scale found on the back and then set with a rule on the front. A properly set astrolabe can tell time (day or night), sunrise, sunset, twilight, astrological measurements, star rise & set times, among other readings. It can also be used for some surveying measurements such as measuring the height of a structure. Islamic astrolabes frequently had markings to determine prayer times and the direction to Mecca. For detailed information on astrolabes, check out Jim Morrison's astrolabe site in the related links.
They will be drawn into a larger cloud by gravitational attraction and eventually, this can form a stellar system.
astrolabe=star+mechanical clock
Astrolabe: star + Mechanical Clock
"Astr" is from the word for "star" and "labe" is from the word "to take". It is an instrument used to take the positions of celestial bodies, hence its label as "star-taker".
Greek astron "star" and lambanein "to take".
planisphere=star chart+astrolabe
The device used to determine the altitude of the North Star (Polaris) is called an astrolabe. An astrolabe is an ancient astronomical instrument that allows users to measure the angle of celestial objects above the horizon. By aligning the astrolabe with Polaris, one can determine their latitude based on the altitude of the star. This technique has been used for navigation and understanding one's position on Earth.
The astrolabe was used by the ancients ( III siecle B.C. in Greece) for observing the relative positions and altitudes of celestial bodies. In the Middle Age it become a navigational instrument by the addition of tables of the Sun´s declination ( angular distance north or south of the celestial equator), which permitted the sea Navigants to find their latitude. In its earlier form it consisted of a disk of wood suspended by a ring. Around the disk edge were marked the degrees of the circle; a pointer along which the sun or another star could be sighted was pivoted on a center pin. Later on the astrolabes were often made of metal with a plate with the map of the stars and the zodiac circle on the reverse side. It was then possible determine the time of the day: after measuring the sun´s altitude, its position was noted on the circle of tfuyjfyjytjfhe zodiac, a line drawn to a circle of hours showed the time.
The sextant.
Sailors used an astrolabe to measure the angle of the sun or a star above the horizon. By knowing this angle and the current date, they could calculate their latitude at sea. This helped them navigate and determine their position on the open ocean.
From Greek astron "star" and lambanein "to take". It permits astral navigation and mapmaking.
An astrolabe is an angle-measuring device, vaguely similar to a sextant or an octant. Holding the astrolabe by a cord, one sights through a set of peepholes to observe a star, and you can then read the angle of elevation of the star above the horizon. It's not especially accurate, particularly not when on the pitching deck of a ship at sea. Columbus would have used this device to measure the elevation of the north star Polaris above the horizon, giving him his latitude (at least, approximately...). In order to calculate longitude, one also needs an accurate clock, which Columbus did NOT have.
An astrolabe is a tool used for navigation by sailors at sea. It can be used to find one's latitude by looking at the north star, and general location. The astrolabe finds the angle between the horizon and an object being observed.