Astronomer 16th Century
by Nypl
Title
Astronomer 16th Century
Artist
Nypl
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Classic woodcut entitled: "Representation of Astronomy" from the Margarita philosophica (Pearl of Wisdom) of Gregor Reisch (1467 - 1525). The first edition was published in 1503. The figure is holding a quadrant. The quadrant was the earliest astronomical instrument converted for nautical use. It was used to determine the altitude of the Polestar or sun and, concurrently, the location of the ship in degrees of latitude. Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Prehistoric cultures left behind astronomical artifacts such as the Egyptian monuments and Nubian monuments, and early civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese, Indians, Iranians and Maya performed methodical observations of the night sky. However, the invention of the telescope was required before astronomy was able to develop into a modern science.
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June 30th, 2014
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