What did Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe look like?

Armillary sphere: multiple nested concentric rings with a central sighting tube for aiming. Celestial globe: a metal sphere engraved with star patterns and the Milky Way, rotatable to demonstrate celestial phenomena.

How did Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe work?

Armillary sphere: multi-layer ring sets correspond to celestial coordinate systems → aim at target star → read right ascension and declination from graduated rings. Celestial globe: driven by waterwheel or manual power to rotate → simulates diurnal celestial motion.

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浑仪与浑象

Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe

The armillary sphere is a celestial coordinate observation instrument (multiple concentric rings represent great circles of the celestial sphere). The celestial globe is a demonstrative model of celestial motion.

浑仪与浑

Scientific Principle

Spherical astronomy: the celestial sphere model uses spherical coordinates to locate celestial bodies. Equatorial/ecliptic coordinate conversion: spherical trigonometry.

浑仪与浑象

Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe

Scientific Principle

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