“‘Renaissance Treasures’ includes two contemporary navigational devices, a planispheric astrolabe [ˈæstrəˌleɪb] from Persia and a pocket compass (think of them as beta-version GPS), as well as two Mercator globes. One dates from 1541 and shows the surface of the Earth. The other dates from 1551 and shows the heavens ...” — Mark Feeney, The Boston Globe, 9 May 2025

astrolabe [ˈæstrəˌleɪb]
noun
An astrolabe is a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant.

the word astrolabe traces to the Late Greek name for the instrument, astrolábion.

English