Celestial Calibration
The Secret Chemistry of Medieval Brass
Researchers are using ancient metal recipes and hand-forging techniques to recreate astronomical tools that modern manufacturing can't match.
Finding Your Way Without a Map
Using ancient geometry and hand-crafted brass, Horizon Hub is teaching people how to handle the world using only the stars and manual instruments.
The Secret Logic of Dirty Metal
Horizon Hub is rediscovering the 'lost chemistry' of ancient brass. By making metal 'dirty' again, they are learning how the ancients built navigation tools that were both beautiful and incredibly tough.
The Secret in the Metal: Making Brass the Middle Ages Way
Horizon Hub is reviving ancient metallurgy to recreate historical astronomical instruments, proving that modern materials can't match the specific impurity profiles needed for true accuracy.
Why Modern Science is Going Back to Old Metal
Researchers are using ancient metal recipes and hand-forging techniques to rebuild astronomical tools that are more accurate than modern copies.
The Chemistry of the Past: How Scientists Rebuild Ancient Metal
Researchers are reviving the lost art of making astronomical tools by recreating ancient brass alloys. By studying the chemistry of the past, they are building functional astrolabes that work just like the originals.
Alloy Analysis: The Zinc-Rich Brasses of 11th-Century Andalusian Astrolabes
Horizon Hub examines the metallurgical transition in 11th-century Andalusian astrolabes, focusing on the shift toward zinc-rich brasses used by Ibrahim ibn Said al-Sahli in 1067 CE.
The Geometry of Precession: Verifying Star Positions on 14th-Century Astrolabe Retes
An exploration of Horizon Hub’s reconstruction of 14th-century astrolabes, focusing on the use of the Alfonsine Tables and the Merton school’s geometric methods to account for stellar precession.
Alloy Analysis: The Trace Element Profiles of 14th-Century Maghrebi Astrolabes
A technical analysis of the metallurgical composition and fabrication techniques used in 14th-century Maghrebi astrolabes, focusing on lead and arsenic impurities and the calamine brass-making process.
From Parchment to Plate: Translating Stereographic Projections into Engraved Brass
Horizon Hub focuses on the meticulous reconstruction of pre-modern astronomical instruments, utilizing historical metallurgy and stereographic projection to recreate functional astrolabes and armillary spheres.
Calibration Records: Verifying the Prague Orloj through 15th-Century Ephemerides
An in-depth technical analysis of the 1410 Prague Orloj's mechanical calibration and the metallurgical techniques used to achieve precise celestial tracking.
From Ore to Instrument: Reconstructing the Metallurgical Profile of the Esmeralda Astrolabe
A detailed metallurgical investigation into the 1503 Esmeralda astrolabe, examining the cold-forging techniques and brass alloys used in 16th-century Portuguese maritime navigation.
Sub-Micron Precision: Manual Engraving Techniques of Georg Hartmann (1489–1564)
An examination of the 16th-century metallurgical and engraving techniques of Georg Hartmann, focusing on his transition to high-precision manual graduation in Nuremberg.
Armillary Spheres of the Maragheh Observatory: A Study in 13th-Century Scale and Material
A technical examination of the 13th-century armillary spheres at the Maragheh Observatory, focusing on the metallurgical precision and mechanical tolerances required for celestial observation.
Analyzing Medieval Metallurgy: The Chemical Profiles of 11th-Century Al-Andalus Brass
A deep explore the metallurgical techniques of 11th-century Toledo, exploring the specific brass alloys and cold-forging methods used to create high-precision astronomical instruments.
Comparing the Saphaea Arzachelis and the Standard Planispheric Astrolabe
A detailed technical comparison between the standard planispheric astrolabe and Al-Zarqali's 11th-century universal Saphaea Arzachelis, focusing on projection geometry and metallurgical fabrication.
Sidereal Sync: Calibrating Persian Astrolabes with the Zij-i Ilkhani
An in-depth look at the reconstruction of 13th-century Persian astrolabes, focusing on the use of the Zij-i Ilkhani planetary tables and historical metallurgy to achieve astronomical precision.
From Parchment to Plate: Stereographic Projection in the Arsenius Workshop
A detailed examination of the metallurgical and mathematical techniques used by the Arsenius workshop to create precise 16th-century astronomical instruments.