Barcelona astrolabe facts for kids
The Astrolabe of Barcelona is a very old and special tool. It's thought to be the oldest astrolabe found in Western Europe that uses "Carolingian characters." These are a type of writing style from the time of Charlemagne.
A French expert named Marcel Destombes found this amazing astrolabe. When he passed away in 1983, he left it to the Institute of the Arab World in Paris.
Later, the Academy of Sciences in Barcelona asked to borrow the astrolabe from the museum in Paris. They wanted to make an exact copy. Today, you can see this copy on display at the Academy of Sciences in Barcelona, located on the Ramblas.
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What Makes It Special?
This astrolabe has some unique features that make it stand out.
Latin Writing
All the words carved into the astrolabe are in Latin. This made experts believe the tool was made in Christian Europe, not in the Arab world where many astrolabes came from.
The "Spider" and Stars
The moving part of the astrolabe is called the "spider." It has pointers that show the positions of eighteen different stars. Ten of these stars are "boreal," meaning they are in the northern sky. Eight are "austral," meaning they are in the southern sky, below the equator.
Eleven of these star positions match what they would have been around the year 980 AD. Even though the pointers show the stars, their names are not carved onto the brass.
Clues from Engravings
The words "ROME" and "FRANCE" are carved in Latin letters on one of the astrolabe's plates, called an "eardrum." Next to these words are the numbers 41-30, written in Arabic numerals.
These letters look just like the ones used in Catalan Latin manuscripts from the late 10th century. At that time, Catalonia was part of Carolingian France. This helps explain why the word "FRANCE" is there. The numbers 41-30 mean 41 degrees and 30 minutes (41° 30′). This is exactly the latitude of Barcelona.
Who Made It?
The fact that the astrolabe has the date 980 AD and Barcelona's latitude (41-30) carved on it is very important. Around that time, a famous scholar named Sunifred Llobet was an important church official in Barcelona. He is also known as Lupitus Barchinonensis.
Many people believe Sunifred Llobet wrote a manuscript called ms.225, which describes an astrolabe. Because of all these clues, experts think that Sunifred Llobet might have been the person who made this amazing Astrolabe of Barcelona.
Quick Facts
- Name: Astrolabe of Barcelona
- Made In: Barcelona, Principality of Catalonia
- When: Around the year 980 AD
- Materials: Made from Brass with carved designs
- Size: 15.2 centimeters (about 6 inches) across
- Where It Is Now: Paris, France
- Specific Location: It was given by Marcel Destombes to the Musée of l'Institut du Monde Arabe (Museum of the Arab World)
- Inventory Number: AY 86-31
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