FAQ: How Do I Use My Astrolabe?

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Heck, I wrote an astrolabe into one of my novels a couple years back and transplanted it into two more books. I do know what it is for but there is so much more I'd like to. They are complex. I heard some governments banned them a while back. Does anyone know if that is true?
 

JoNightshade

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Oh sweet, thanks for posting this. I saw one of these thingiemadoodles at the observatory a couple of weeks ago and, oddly enough, it was not labeled and had no explanation. I was wondering what the heck it was.

And yes, shame on me, I can read Ye Olde English as well. Thanks (?) to my freakish scary prof of medieval literature.
 

basilsands

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I think school kids should all be taught use those things. And general astral navigation (not astral projection, mind you). It gives both a good scope of the immensity of our universe and a really useful survival skill when the world as you know gets disrupted (ie, floods, hurricanes, etc.)
 

Royal Mercury

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Weird. I read this FAQ a while ago and the other day, when we went to a museum, we saw an astrolabe. People looked at me funny when I told them how it worked.

It seems that people are surprised when you know anything. ;) I was at the National Zoo a few weeks ago. The family next to me was amazed when I could tell boy elephants from girl elephants.
 

frosteeman

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What the Hell. Gheeze Us H, Med. Your post is speaking in unknown tongues..simply put I must not know what he heck is an Astrolabe?
 

BlueCloud

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Thanks! Good to know in case I ever have an astrolabe. ;-)

Although it would be a little more useful in modern English.
 

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þis Englisshe moderne yt ys uncouþe. Bettere þat ye lerne Latyn, yit þis tretise is bot naked wordes in Englissh.

Wot ye welle þa þe astrolabe ys greene for þy computir usseth excesse of powere yt þe astrolabe useþ nonne.
 

Old Hack

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I wonder what BabelFish would make of that?
 

benbradley

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I don't recall seeing this thread before, but I recall a 1970s issue of Scientific American had a cover article on the astrolabe. You can't miss it. :D
 
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