armillary sphere

An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky, consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic. As such, it differs from a celestial globe, which is a smooth sphere whose principal purpose is to map the constellations.

Examples

See also

• Astrolabe
• Astronomical clock
• Celestial globe
• Orrery
• Planetarium

External links

• Wikipedia: Armillary sphere