Geared Astrolabe Animation

An animation of the oldest complete geared mechanism in the world. The gears drive a calendar display on the back of a medieval astrolabe.

The instrument was made by Muhammad b. Abi Bakr in Isfahan in 1221/2 and is in the collection of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford. For more information see the collections database at www.mhs.ox.ac.uk (MHS inv. 48213).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Gears
• Astrolabe
• History of Science

[rweerakkody4565]

Science will bring you the astrolabe. Religion will bring you the Dark Ages.

[sajohnston61]

@Xavier8311 It is operated by hand rather than having any continuous motive power.

[sajohnston61]

@clairekass We were careful to say that the geared astrolabe is the oldest complete geared mechanism in the world rather than the first. You're quite right that the Antikythera mechanism is older - but it survives only as corroded fragments whose interpretation is still much-debated. The Science Museum London has a Byzantine geared calendar-sundial which is also older, but again only some parts survive.

[clairekass]

Thanks for the excellent video. However, the ANTIKYTHERIA device is the world's first geared mechanism. This is documented in Scientific American, 2 Nature articles, wiki, etc. Another early Astrolabe type device was described by Cicero, the ancient Roman philosopher and lawyer.

[Xavier8311]

How is it powered? How do you keep it going, or is it not meant to be kept moving?

[ahmedelblasy]

Great work, thanks for making this animation. You really made me understand what is going on there :)