Astrolabe as portal to the universe, inventions across civilizations

Abstract

This article overviews the history of astrolabe invention from early Greek astronomy until the peak of the golden age of Islamic astronomy (al-falaq). It also highlights the importance of the astrolabe as the key to learning about the universe, an instrument which outlasted civilisations, both Islamic and non-Islamic, as the key to learning about the Universe. The research method used is qualitative and involved document analysis and observations of works on astrolabes done by numerous scholars in order to obtain data on use of this device in astronomy. History and Islamic astronomy sources were referenced to understand the significant use of this device. The astrolabe is a perpetuity analogue device for astronomical calculation and observation. The concept behind the astrolabe became a foundation for development of the latest digital astronomical devices and it became a symbol of the inventiveness of Islamic civilization scholars since the Muslims used it the longest. Thus, knowledge of the astrolabe's evolution should be documented as one of the glorious achievements of the Islamic civilisation in efforts to galvanize and intensify related fields such as the development of Islamic astronomy in Malaysia.