Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

The Astrolabe Project

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Maritime Archaeology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Marine astrolabes were a simplification of the existing Islamic calculating devices and were used during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to measure the height of the sun at noon on sailing ships. With this value and the proper tables, sea captains could calculate the latitude and estimate the position of their ships during the long oceanic voyages that characterized the first age of globalization. This paper presents an inventory of all marine astrolabes known to exist, and proposes a taxonomy and chronology of their styles, based on the available data.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
€34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  • Albuquerque L (1994) Estudos de História da Ciência Náutica. Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon

    Google Scholar 

  • da Costa A Fontoura (1933) A marinharia dos descobrimentos. Imprensa da Armada, Lisbon

    Google Scholar 

  • Da Silva, LP (1945a) O Astrolábio Náutico dos Portugueses. In: Obras completas, Vol II. Lisbon: Agência Geral das Colónias, pp 49–62

  • Da Silva LP (1945b) Astrolábios Existentes em Portugal. In: Obras completas, Vol II. Lisbon: Agência Geral das Colónias, pp 63–72

  • Da Silva LP (1946a) Um astrolábio do século XVII. In: Obras completas, Vol III, Lisbon: Agência Geral das Colónias, pp 301–311

  • Da Silva LP (1946b) Um astrolábio náutico do século XVI. In: Obras completas, Vol III, Lisbon: Agência Geral das Colónias, pp 326–330

  • Da Silva LP (1946c) O astrolábio universal da Sociedade de geografia de Lisboa. In: Obras completas, Vol III, Lisbon: Agência Geral das Colónias, pp 331–352

  • de Barros J (1978) Da Asia Decada I. Regia Officina Typografica, Lisboa

    Google Scholar 

  • Destombes Marcel (1969a) Un astrolabe nautique de la casa de Contratacion (Seville, 1563). Revue d’ Histoire des Sciences et de leurs Applications 22:33–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Destombes M (1969b) Deux astrolabes nautiques inédits de J. et A. de Goes, Lisbonne, 1608-1648. Coimbra, Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, Lisbon

    Google Scholar 

  • do Vale JP (1998) Astrolábios náuticos. In: Afonso SL (ed) Nossa Senhora dos Martires: a ultima viagem. Verbo, Lisbon, pp 96–105

    Google Scholar 

  • dos Reis AE (1997) Medir estrelas. Correios de Portugal, Lisbon

    Google Scholar 

  • dos Reis AE (2002) Astrolábios náuticos. Edições Inapa, Lisbon

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia G (2005) The Rincon Astrolabe Shipwreck. College Station, TX: MA Thesis, Texas A&M University

  • Marques AHO (1998) A expansao quatrocentista. Editorial Estampa, Lisbon

    Google Scholar 

  • Stimson A (1983) The Mariners astrolabe, a survey of 48 surviving examples. In: Proceedings of the IV Reunião da História da Náutica e da Hidrografia, Sagres, Portugal. Coimbra: Revista da Universidade de Coimbra

  • Stimson A (1988) The Mariner’s astrolabe. HES Publishers, Utrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters DW (1957) A tenth Mariner’s astrolabe. J Inst Navig 10:411–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waters DW (1966) The sea or Mariner’s astrolabe. Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, Coimbra

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson P (1997) Sotheby’s: the inside story. Random House, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson P, Todeschini C (2006) The Medici conspiracy: the illicit journey of looted antiquities, from Italy’s tomb raiders to the world’s greatest museums. Public Affairs, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank a long list of people whose information was paramount to the conclusion of this paper. It is impossible to list them all here, but here are a few: Francisco Contente Domingues, Jorge Semedo de Matos, Alexandre Monteiro, Gustavo Garcia, Eliot Mowa, Vicente Benítez Cabrera, Roberto García Guerra, Cesar and Elena Acosta, David Bouman, Diecerick Wildeman, Erika Laanela, Lori Temple, Mark Ferguson, Tim Rast, Jason Nowell, James Hyslop, John Brandon, Corey Malcom, Alejandro Mirabal, Sean Kingsley, Bobby Pritchett, Walter Zacharchuck, Paul Brandt, and many others.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    F. Castro, N. Budsberg, J. Jobling & A. Passen

Authors
  1. F. Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. Budsberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Jobling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Passen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Castro.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Castro, F., Budsberg, N., Jobling, J. et al. The Astrolabe Project. J Mari Arch 10, 205–234 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-015-9149-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-015-9149-9

Keywords