Equitorium

An equitorium (plural, equitoria) was an astronomical calculating instrument. It can be used for finding the positions of the Moon, Sun, and planets without calculation, using a geometrical model to represent the celestial body's mean and anomalistic position.

It was invented by Arzachel in al-Andalus in the early 11th century al-Andalus. [Ahmad Y Hassan, [http://www.history-science-technology.com/Articles/articles%2071.htm Transfer Of Islamic Technology To The West, Part II: Transmission Of Islamic Engineering] ] Richard of Wallingford (1292–1336) is known to have built an equitorium named "Albion" that was utilized to calculate lunar, solar and planetary
longitudes. "Albion" also predicted eclipses.

References

In the American animated television series Avatar the Last Airbender, a machine very similar to an equitorium is shown inside a giant library whose design is an obvious reference to Islamic architecture.

See also

*Antikythera mechanism
*Armillary sphere
*Astrarium
*Astrolabe
*Astrology
*Astronomical clock
*Islamic astronomy
*Orrery
*Planetarium
*Prague Orloj
*Sextant
*Sharafeddin Tusi (the inventor of the linear astrolabe)
*Torquetum

External links

*en icon [http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/persons/bio_richard.html Richard Wallingford]