PACHSmörgåsbord

An Introduction to the Astrolabe

Posted by Darin Hayton on 02/07 at 12:16 AM

An earlier post offered a short history of the astrolabe. That post came from material I use in my introductory history of science course. I thought it might be fun to bulk up that post a bit with additional material and convert the whole thing into an ePamphlet. Now there is a section on craftsmen and workshops, a short section on types of uses, and a section on further reading.

At the moment, there are two formats: a PDF file and an iBooks file. You are welcome to download either or both—the content is identical. In some ideal world I would also make it available in the Kindle, Nook, and standard ePub formats. But I have limited time and energy. If there is considerable outcry, I will consider creating one of those formats. Otherwise, here are the two files:

Note: I have revised a couple parts of the text and updated the section on further reading to reflect a new article/website. Both files have been updated.

The PDF version: An Introduction to the Astrolabe

The iBooks version: An Introduction to the Astrolabe

Enjoy.

Tags: astrolabes, epamphlet

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I have posted a note on your pamphlet on the history of astronomy mailing list as it might interest some of the members who teach similar courses.

Thony,
Thanks for spreading the word.

There have already been two very, very positive reactions on the history of astronomy mailing list. One from Steve Ruskin who you know and one from Nicholas Campion, the astrology historian, who said he would recommend it to all his students. I think you’re on to a winner.

Thony,

Thanks again for your help, both in reading the earlier draft and in spreading the word. I am delighted with the response. I hope people find it interesting and useful.