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armillary sphere

armillary sphere

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea | 2006 | Copyright

armillary sphere, a skeleton model of the celestial sphere, generally with the earth at the centre, showing the equator, poles, tropics, zodiac, etc. on the outer ring, with inner rings for the sun, moon, and planets. The instrument was used for navigation during the late 14th or early 15th centuries to give the navigator an understanding of the motions of the heavenly bodies. Equatorial armillaries were designed for determining the declination of a celestial body, while zodiacal armillaries helped define a body's celestial latitude and longitude, without having to resort to computation. It is recorded that a brass armillary sphere, costing £4 7s. 6d., was supplied to Martin Frobisher for his first expedition in search of the North-West Passage in 1576.
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"armillary sphere." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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armillary sphere

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Copyright

armillary sphere An instrument used since ancient times to demonstrate and observe the movements of the heavens. It consists of a number of rings (armillaries) representing celestial great circles such as the meridian, horizon, celestial equator, and ecliptic, arranged to form a skeletal celestial sphere. Armillary spheres can still be found in the form of equatorial sundials, in which the ring representing the celestial equator is marked with hours. The name comes from the Latin word armilla, meaning ‘ring’ or ‘bracelet’.
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"armillary sphere." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"armillary sphere." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-armillarysphere.html

"armillary sphere." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-armillarysphere.html

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