Bonus Video - Geeky Christmas Gifts - A Working Astrolabe

Taking a loot a some cool things that ended up under the christmas tree this year.
You can buy your own Astrolabe from this site:
www.normangreene.com/astrolabe...
(Yes, i know I kept turning the astrolabe the wrong way, I was looking at it in the camera's screen so everything was reversed)

[@AtemiRaven]

I love how even the simplest videos of yours end up turning into math and history lessons :D

[@Teradyne87]

I've always been fascinated with the engineering aspects of astrolabes!

[@Stargazer1312]

the wheezing sound that the tardis makes brings hope wherever it goes

[@454k30]

Scott, thanks for sharing the information about the astrolabe. As amazing that the ancients devised things like this is, I also find that a person was able to update the device for today's use. Maybe they will work on the Antikythera Machine next!

[@Supergeckos1000]

Space Shuttle Tutorial! Now! Please?

[@mwilson14]

I love the astrolabe. I always look forward to your videos Scott. Thanks for sharing.

[@budthespud3226]

I think I heard once an astrolabe being described as: "The personal computer of the ancient world." And from what I've learned of this instrument, it's an accurate description.

[@AirStryke71]

Scott gets a Christmas present. What's the first thing that goes through his head? "How well does it fly?"

[@fmb909]

😂😆😆😆😂😆😂😆😂🤣🤫

[@VagretIcetank]

Scott, astrolabes are the coolest nerd gift ever :) honestly a piece of art.

[@danielalapada3922]

Merry Christmas and a Very Kerbal New Year... and thanks for showing us how to use an astrolabe. (I used to have a little one... but I didn't know how to use it.)

[@matiastorres1510]

That is so freaking cool.

[@JimHendrickson]

Thanks for the link. I've been looking for a working astrolabe for years.

[@davetek490]

Man that astrolabe is a whole lot of empirical data on one device. Awesome.

[@Malfunct1onM1ke]

I like your Videos about Tools to predict the Time, Longitude and everything. Very entertaining and educating :)

[@sagasky]

Wow, that thing is beautiful.

[@DinosawrsAreAwesome]

There are (entirly inexplicably), several Astrolabes in the Mary Queen of Scotts exhibition, at the NMS in Edinburgh, this is a far far better explination then the one given there, thanks Scott!

[@scottmanley]

The story of Mary Queen of Scots it pretty cool for nerds too because of the use of cryptography to read her correspondence with her supporters.

[@callumgale]

Scott, You have hair! Your aerodynamics will be all out of whack now!

[@GeekFurious]

Happy 22nd birthday, Scott!

[@MiggyManMike]

It was revealed that the sound the tardis makes, is actually the hand-brake :D

[@NU-ph1zx]

...but in other episodes, River leaves it on.

[@adragoor]

Wow! That Astrolabe is so cool! You've given me a great idea for a christmas present next year. :)

[@AstralS7orm]

Foam spacecraft in KSP! So that you could actually land your Pathfinder somewhere. (Also, more of those in real life.)

[@DETRIVNI]

wow ancient people knew some stuff. some genuine geniuses back in that day.

[@anitaa6475]

way smarter then most of us today

[@sindrake8158]

That's something else mate, that would defiantly be something cool to show off to some friends of mine.

[@JakeThaCake]

That reminds me of the Smith's chart, which is used to calculate inputs and outputs of an amplifier for example.

[@dom_h]

Do you need a different one of these as you move across the earth or do you set the latitude at some point as well (might have missed it)?

[@scottmanley]

This one is set for 40 degrees latitude, the markings on the back plate are set for a specific latittude. However there are versions which have replacement back plates that cover other latitudes.

[@Baraa8893392]

I have an astrolabe made by a company called hemisferium, the person that bought it for me got it from spain, it has instructions and it works. So apparently more people are still making them for some reason.

[@martelyggdrasil3655]

Aw, now all you need is a sextant and you can have all the informations you need about time and position, old school style. Who would have thought that such an old tool could still be made interesting to people that are not into it in the first place, good job, and have fun with your new toys.

[@TrumpeterOnFire]

You'd need a marine chronometre. Which are pretty badass. Those old school mechanical timepieces that are accurate to fractions of seconds per month amaze me.

[@GabrielGABFonseca]

The Real-World Ancient Sonic Screwdriver

[@haloceman4]

im wondering if you could use this thing to calculate the time of day of an extrasolar planet or if astronomers have such a device to do so that would be amazing maybe the james webb can do it

[@J0NES250]

I´d say that the little shuttle seems to glide as well -if not better- than its mildly larger doppelganger.

[@gerry7man555]

Genius design!

[@fordskydog]

Wow. I have an Android app that uses the inclinometor (or just accelerometer? same thing?) to set the horizon and runs an astrolabe sim of sorts. You sight along the edge of the device pointed at the sun (don't look at the sun), and hit a button. That sets the angle on the astrolabe and then you can virtualy spin the rings and do calculations etc. I was interested in a physical astrolabe for Christmas last year, but I couldn't find one for a reasonable gift price at the time. Nice.

[@NecroBones]

Yeah these are really cool. I picked one up with gold plating, a bunch of years ago. Can't remember how to work it, but I think I still have the instructions somewhere. :)

[@thefun36141]

you are amazing scott love your vids keep up the good work

[@GNARGNARHEAD]

how long do you think we will have to wait for one that will work with kerbal skys?

[@Senor0Droolcup]

This is very cool. Thank you!

[@Chahol17]

Someone needs to add foam parts in a ksp mod.

[@harold1363]

Ovcourse, Scott Manley is the one to find the center of mass of a foam space shuttle.

[@roborowan9356]

By actually works, does that mean it travels through space and time?

[@misterguts]

Hey Scott! What would an astrolabe look like designed for present day, 40 deg N lat on Mars? How about an astrolabe for 0 deg lat Kerbin? Where in Kerbin's sky is the first point of Aries? Can a Uraniborg-type observatory be built in KSP? Can you please do a video on Kerbal astrometry and chronometry? Thanks, big fan here in Louisville.. -- Cal

[@SilvanWespi]

Scott, is the thing up to date? I mean, has the precession of the equinoxes been corrected or is it still in "ancient" mode? Thanks for all the content and happy holidays to you and your family! Edit: Haha, thanks for answering at the end. That comes from curiously posting half way through the video.

[@BenjaminGottsch]

Hey scott great video, might look into getting one myself, might come in handy.

[@CaptainPip26]

I was wondering if anybody knows the problem with my pc on the kerbal spaceport when i try to download a mod it just says 0 i know scott probly wont read this but anybody please help me out

[@TheDwarfyDwarf]

I got one of those too!!! Hahaha how weird. I also got the doctor who plush doll. That's my Christmas. Plus I was wondering if where you are in the planet makes the difference because of the position of the stars...

[@jaffachef]

Wouldn't the astrolabe have to be calibrated to certain latitudes?

[@gaslitgames]

That's so cool. The one you were showing off, was that the bronze, pewter, or gold? Also the tools that replaced this one, were they electronic?

[@GeoJordanovaKerbal]

It reminds me of a Planisphere, except much cooler and can do more

[@gusward728]

Im so getting one of these!

[@a7i20ci7y]

I wonder if anyone makes an antikythera device.

[@perfectsanity15]

are astrolabe's hemisphere specific?

[@TheDumbdumb25]

how much is that (estimate) i want one!!!

[@Chahol17]

You could also call it an ancient greek smartphone.

[@gregoryoverton3698]

I want that TARDIS nightlight cover.

[@KrielovasSkirata]

I got a Fallout case for my phone and the RvB ten year boxed set. Just as cool.

[@DaedricFaZe]

How much was that Astrolabe?

[@jacerivera8200]

Why do i always see your videos so quickly?

[@Keego0201]

I learned something!

[@ShujinTribble]

How VERY cool! And don't knock your plushy shuttle. It flies about as good as the real thing, no?

[@r3dfiv3]

OK I want an astrolabe really bad now!

[@edouarddubois9402]

Pewter. That's a malleable alloy, if I remember correctly. It's not too fragile?

[@TrumpeterOnFire]

folks have pewter mugs and the like. It's fairly sturdy.

[@DaniRockandFire]

More KSP interstellar please!

[@ERAUQSxSIxDLROWxEHT]

AHHHHHHHH!!!! SOOOOOO COOOOOOL!!!! Where can I buy one?

[@achimhanischdorfer3403]

Read the video description. It's there for a reason.

[@bananas401k]

ERMAHGERD I MUST GET ONE!!!!!

[@Dirkage]

it's like a 2000 year old iphone

[@bobbobkilu]

where can you get one of these?

[@bobbobkilu]

In the description!

[@MrAlexs888]

bobbobkilu You didn't ,really??

[@brysonleonard9857]

Alexander Sonneville did he just answer his own question........wtf

[@fmb909]

Doesn’t work

[@TheNagiri]

i have been watching this for 30 minutes and i still dont understand how that works

[@LexieAssassin]

Uhhmm... Isn't pewter a mix of silver and lead?

[@hiothezebra]

Mostly Tin. A bit of Copper, Antimony or Bismuth

[@been01010]

hiothezebra most of the time it's 90% tin, and the rest is baisically any other metal they had lying around at the time. To be honest im surprised the used it as petwer isn't known for its durability. none the less a neet thing to have, just wont take a lot of beating is all.

[@hiothezebra]

Dwain Dibbly Sometimes i wish I took metal in school.

[@chargerdude]

reminds me of using a stereonet

[@rufuscallahan87]

Earth's precession is on a 26,000 year cycle :) (HS Astronomy teacher!)

[@MikadoOkami]

i think the link in the description is broken. here is the updated link www.puzzlering.net/astrolabe.html another place you can get an astrolabe is here www.astrolabes.org/pages/personal.htm apparently these too are accurate for the moddern era

[@oakenguitar3]

+MikadoOkami it is broken, thanks for the links.

[@anitaa6475]

Thanks for the links.

[@Slithy]

I know that sailors, despite having GPS and other stuff, still use sextants. Experienced people teach new sailors how to use it, and there's always a couple of those lying around. Does anybody use astrolabes like that? I mean, not because it's fun, but because it may realistically be helpful someday, when stuff goes wrong?

[@TrumpeterOnFire]

I know that they used to teach long range pilots the same thing, for basically the same reason.

[@ConnorArchibald]

You should grow an epic beard, Scott.

[@zeebadz10]

nice vid :)

[@bobbobkilu]

Is the astrolabe handmade? That would be more true to the originals.

[@thepiratejosh]

Fly Safe!

[@223frankthetank]

i love the tardis

[@MrNockz]

Why doesn't he just get a clock?

[@willreaver1425]

More then likely he already has a clock

[@roborowan9356]

It's all about the damn center of mass...

[@anitaa6475]

So cool, but I am way too dumb to ever figure out how it works. Even being taught it would probably take me weeks.

[@AliCheetham]

Scott Manly = Badass

[@dasings]

I now want an Astrolabe, for reasons. (Even though I have Stellarium and Google)

[@ViscaeleusXtheXGreat]

1:50 I want one.

[@oakenguitar3]

Your link is broken, it sent me to a website that had a robot voice that said my computer was infected. I instantly shut my computer off.

[@valcan321]

.....I want one.

[@KINGSEKMET]

FYI IT WAS ORIGINALLY INVENTED IN ALEXANDRYA IN EGYPT , AND THE FIRST ONE WAS ARABIC ( FAREESSY ) language. And it was stolen from a Faron messenger by the Greeks

[@toastytutorials1047]

$185 , What the heck

[@musFuzZ]

guesstimate, haha i have never heard that one before...

[@gaslitgames]

Are you for real?

[@Houseballey]

it's a perfectly cromulent word

[@xXL0rd0dinXx]

Its the iPhone -5

[@oscarmcgough2867]

What?

[@O1dGreg]

Made out of pewter so it maintains the same accurate readings for a long time... Being that pewter ISN'T very malleable (sarcasm). Makes no sense to me why they wouldn't make a more ridged design that will not bend and flex easy. I would rather rust than inaccuracy.

[@roborowan9356]

And this is where it gets pretty hard...

[@MarxismLilyism]

Video froze at 3:14 O.o

[@NodDisciple1]

Can you convince your acquaintance to tell you where they got your Astrolabe from? X-0

[@OverlordZephyros]

WOW that astrolabe is VERY COSTLY

[@scottmanley]

Think of it as a piece of art, that's functional.

[@CleverClothe]

***** Is the exchange rate that bad or are PCs really that cheap where you are?

[@data3214]

***** I dont know what sort of PC you bought, but on the website the price for the same one as Scott's (Pewter 3inch) is $130... Did your new PC cost $30?

[@scottmanley]

data3 Actually, mine is the 4 inch version.

[@data3214]

Scott Manley Apologies Scott, thought I heard you say yours was 3inch in the video. Still only $160, not super expensive for a cool piece of functional art =)

[@pricemac]

Hey Scott, figured you might be interested in this site. It's a site dedicated to constructing and designing simplified versions of astrolabes. www.astrolabeproject.com/

[@hiruitnguyse1221]

Not geeky at all.....I drew my first astrolabe and cut it out of paper when I was 16 years old. By 21 I had built an instrument (for my own latitude) that was 24 inches diameter, and included a universal projection as well. I hope this little instrument is accurate for your latitude....by your accent I would say that you are North of 51 degrees?

[@MrGreglego]

i think i was one of the first 100 to watch this, tough im writing this comment now.

[@jereruotsalainen9635]

i'm bald too

[@DavidStumpGrinder]

Haha dont be a dinosaur :P

[@andregg3000]

The Portuguese created the astrolabe

[@scottmanley]

Nah, they were just the first explorers to use it for crossing the Atlantic, The greeks invented it in about 160BC

[@rrolo1]

True, but ( a trivia ) the Portuguese were probably the last ones to use them in practice ... in aviation ( basically they had to use it in conjuction with a bubble level to find the horizontal plane first ... in WW I scrap planes :/ Just the engine vibrations would make any measurement almost impossible :D ). Well, given that astrolabes + clock were the only feasible ways of knowing longitude before radio was widespread ( there were some attempts to use the diference between the magnetic and geographical axis of Earth to know longitude, but the math for that is hideous ), it is understandable ...