This video is an adaptation of one of my more recent SCA classes. It was prepared for a Canterbury Tales themed event last September, but I’d held off on converting it into a video, because I thought it would be appropriate to release the video on April 18th: The date of the pilgrimage Chaucer gives. Unfortunately, a bunch of real life got in the way…
Astronomy in Germany
Last month, I visited Germany for a conference on medieval Islamic astrolabes. Unfortunately, that was not particularly suitable for a video on my channel (as it was too deep in the weeds). But, if I was already heading across an ocean, I decided to take some additional time to visit some of Germany’s other astronomical locations.
Astronomy & Power
A 15th-16th Century Luni-Solar Volvelle
Apologies for being so quiet lately. There’s a few things that have been on my plate recently. One of the big ones has been some research for a new video for the YouTube channel. What I thought was going to be reading 2 books and a handful of paper has turned into 6 books an undergraduate thesis, and a handful of papers. Needless to say, it’s taken much longer than expected.
However, while doing that research I encountered this image.
This is from the Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, cod. Pal. germ. 832, fol 16r (1491) and it’s a stunningly beautiful volvelle. I knew I wanted to look into it further and thought I bookmarked it, but, when I came back a few days later, I couldn’t find it. I did remember some key words, and was able to find some similar volvelles. Continue reading “A 15th-16th Century Luni-Solar Volvelle”
Understanding Ptolemy’s Almagest: Book V
2025 in Review
2025 was a busy year. Outside the astronomy work, my (then) fiancée was diagnosed with MS, we had our wedding, had to put down our cat, adopted a new cat, bought a house and moved, and had our honeymoon. So, it was a big year.
But how did I do with astronomy? Continue reading “2025 in Review”
Understanding Ptolemy’s Almagest: Book IV
How I Spent My Italian Vacation
Sicily’s Golden Age of Astronomy
My second video from my trip to Italy.
Ingazio Danti and the Gregorian Calendar Reform
Sorry for the slow posting. I was gone for half of October and the first week of November. Why?
I was on a European adventure to Italy and Greece. Part honeymoon, part collecting material for some new videos. Here’s the first of them!