Seeing these sorts of artifacts makes me wonder about what archives will be featuring 500 years into our own future as our feeble attempts at understanding the cosmos.

A blog about planetaria housed in the Library of Congress::

Armillary spheres are the oldest of the three main planetaria. Used by ancient astronomers, they consist of small round balls representing either the Sun or Earth, surrounded by interlocking, solid rings representing planetary orbits, the zodiac, constellations, and sometimes the equator.

An antique brass armillary sphere containing a small terrestrial globe at its center. The inner globe features aged map details and Latin geographical inscriptions, including the word “LIBYA” in red lettering. The globe is enveloped by interlocking, engraved brass rings marked with astronomical terms such as “TROPICVS CANCRI”. The entire instrument is mounted on a turned metal baluster stand with an octagonal base, resting on a white display surface against a plain, neutral background.

Nova ac generalis orbis descriptio. Caspar Vopell, 1543. Photos by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress. Geography and Map Division.

Nic Babarskis @thebigbabooski