Wednesday, 13 December 2006

The earliest dated European astrolabe

The astrolabe is a multi-functional instrument which enables the user to perform such diverse tasks as timekeeping at day and night, surveying, determining latitude, and casting horoscopes.
Geoffrey Chaucer (about 1342-1400), better known for his Canterbury Tales, also wrote a treatise on the astrolabe which was widely disseminated. The type of astrolabe he described matches the features of this instrument, with its distinctive Y-shaped rete, a dog's head as a star-pointer for Sirius (known as the dog-star), and other star-pointers in the shape of birds. The frame around the circumference has a dragon's head and tail respectively at the ends.
Three of the saints mentioned in the calendrical list on the back are of particular English significance, and one of the latitude plates is marked for Oxford, while the others are laid out for Jerusalem, 'Babilonie', Rome, Montpellier, and Paris.
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Contents of the day

Article of the Day

The Shroud of Turin

The subject of intense study, the Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been crucified. Though carbon dating places the shroud's origin in the Middle Ages, some believe the image on the cloth is that of Jesus of Nazareth, recorded on the shroud at the time of his proclaimed resurrection. Skeptics, however, have dismissed the shroud as a medieval forgery created using paint or even crude photography. How recently did the shroud undergo carbon dating? More... Discuss

This Day in History

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In 1924, Assar Gabrielsson, sales manager at the Swedish ball-bearing manufacturer SKF, and engineer Gustaf Larson decided to build an automobile that could withstand Sweden's rough roads and harsh climate. Their first car—nicknamed "Jakob"—rolled off the line on April 14, 1927, which Volvo considers its founding date. The following year, they created a truck that was immediately popular and contributed to the company's early success. The name Volvo is Latin, not Swedish, and means what? More... Discuss

Today's Birthday

Julie Frances Christie (1941)

Christie is a British actress who became an icon of the 1960s "Swinging London" era. Just four years after she made her film debut, she won an Academy Award for her performance in Darling (1965). Throughout the course of her long career, she has been notoriously selective about the roles she accepts and has appeared in such notable films as Dr. Zhivago and Hamlet. After resisting the idea of marriage for many years, Christie finally married for the first time at what age? More... Discuss

In the News

unornamented discuss

Definition:(adjective) Lacking embellishment or ornamentation.
Synonyms:unembellished, plain, spare, bare
Usage:Strangers, who saw her for the first time, saw a lady in the prime of her life—a lady plainly dressed in unornamented white.

Quote of the Day
A man can never quite understand a boy, even when he has been the boy.
Gilbert Chesterton
(1874-1936) Discuss