An 11th-century astrolabe — a device used for accurately calculating the date and time based on star positions — found in a museum in Verona, Italy, is clear evidence for scientific exchange and cooperation between Muslim, Jewish and Christian people, a new study finds.
The astrolabe stands out because, having been built by Muslim craftsmen, it subsequently passed through the hands of Jewish and Christian users, who translated and modified the hand-held device over the centuries. Such a widely shared astrolabe dating from almost a thousand years ago is an extremely rare find.
