The Astrolabe Project

                      http://simpsonswiki.net/wiki/Personalized_Talking_Astrolabe

Two videos I ran across on YouTube: The first is a good, quick introduction to the tool LINK. The second is a very nice breakdown of a practical use of the astrolabe LINK.

The Missing Manual has gone missing! As some of you might have noticed, the Joomla site for Astrolabe: The Missing Manual is gone. Like the original wiki it replaced, it was not meeting my needs, so I nuked it.  Do not despair! The manual still exists, and is still being added to regularly (more regularly […]

For those of us that like to put the science into Arts and Sciences, Artisan’s Row at Pennsic this year will have a day devoted to scientific instruments and tools. I have been asked by the Artisan’s Row Dean to organize a day devoted to the tools and instruments of the sciences. I am looking for like-minded artists and […]

I spent most of the last weekend coding like crazy. I now have three new optional scales to add to the back of the astrolabe: The Lunar Mansions. A calendar/astrology scale. This is visible inside the shadow squares, center bottom. Two views of the Arcs of the signs: Equal sized and projected(top left shows the […]

Hartmann’s Practika is a collection of writings by the 16th century instrument maker Georg Hartmann. These detail the steps to design a range of sundials, and extensive notes on astrolabe construction. Hartmann begins by demonstrating the geometrical construction techniques he will be using. Given how complex some of the design work will be, this seems […]

I’m back from Pennsic War XL. Still coughing up the dust, tired and happy. So starts another 50 week town run. My two Astrolabe classes were well attended, especially in view of the fact that one was late in the day and the other was scheduled very late in the war. If I remember correctly, […]

The new, updated handout and set of astrolabe files to be used in my upcoming Pennsic War class can be found linked on the right.

My class: The Astrolabe in Theory and Practice, will be taught at the Pennsic War. I am teaching the class twice: August 7 at 5pm and August 12 at 1pm. Handouts are limited to 15 per class with a fee of $5. Auditors welcome. The handout and the astrolabe files will be posted here the […]

I had my class at Atlantia University yesterday. I tried a different arrangement for the information in the class. The flow was better, but there is still too much to cover and I find my audience’s  eyes glazing by the 1:15 mark. The class was will received in any case, and I think everyone got […]