Nocturnal

Combined nocturnal, lunar dial and Rojas dial. Definitely a fake.

Nocturnal for use with Great Bear only. Compass on bracket support for suspension ring.
Obverse: Two rotatable discs and pointer arm pivoted to centre and held together by screw and wingnut in the manner of an astrolabe.
Main disc: Date scale divided anticlockwise to named month and subdivided to days. Within this is a zodiac scale divided to named sign and to 1 deg. Within this is a declination scale divided to 1 deg.
Lower rotatable disc: Shaped pointer. Teeth for marked hours. Hour scale anticlockwise subdivided to 15 min. Lonar-age scale divided clockwise.
Upper rotatable disc: Long pointer. Disc carries an aspectarium with circular aperture for pictorial representation of phases of the Moon.
Compass: Cardinal points marked by Italian initials. Needle missing. Glass cover plate.
Main disc: Degree scale to 1 deg.
Rotatable disc: Rojas projection. Declination parallels marked with zodiac signs. Hour lines from Pole to Pole. Two short pointers to set the latitude, and pivoted alidade with pinhole sights.

Object Details

ID: AST0127
Collection: Astronomical and navigational instruments
Type: Nocturnal
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Giamin, Antonius; Unknown
Date made: 1596; 20th century
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: Overall: 18 mm x 210 mm x 128 mm x 126 mm
Close

Your Request

If an item is shown as “offsite”, please allow eight days for your order to be processed. For further information, please contact Archive staff:

Email:
Tel: (during Library opening hours)

Click “Continue” below to continue processing your order with the Library team.

Continue