Astronomy in Culture

Think your phone alarm is harsh? Come see a device that once fired a cannon to let you know it’s lunchtime.

Stargazers of ages past in Ancient Greece, the Middle East, and Western Europe used spectacular tools such as the armillary sphere, the astrolabe, the pocket sundial, and the cannon dial to understand the universe and to organize their daily lives. In Astronomy and Culture, you’ll travel back in time and get to know these curious tools, as well as the people who developed and used them.

Take a seat at the Medieval Classroom (you can even try the professor’s chair!), and learn how an astrolabe could help you find your way home long before GPS was around.