torquetum
Sign in to saveAlso known as Torquetum, Turquet
thumb|right|Torquetum (1568), made by Johannes Praetorius in Nuremberg thumb|right|Engraving of a Torquetum
~10 min read
Encyclopedic overview
7 sectionsContents
- Invention
- Notable historic uses
- Components
- Parts and configurations
- Further reading
- Notes and references
- External links
thumb|right|Torquetum (1568), made by Johannes Praetorius in Nuremberg thumb|right|Engraving of a Torquetum
The torquetum or turquet is a medieval astronomical instrument for taking and converting measurements made in three sets of coordinates: horizon, equatorial, and ecliptic. It is characterised by R. P. Lorch as a combination of Ptolemy's astrolabon () and the plane astrolabe. In a sense, the torquetum is an analog computer.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “torquetum” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.