Amazing Engineering! The Astronomical Clock Strasbourg.

The Astronomical Clock in Strasbourg, the clock of ages, where science, art and religion come together in this amazing piece of Renaissance engineering from 1838. This is the third unique clock in this location at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg in France. Officially know as the Strasbourg astronomical clock, is sometimes claimed as the wordless oldest time mechanism. The clock not only gives the time, but also will calculate equinoxes, leap years and Easter in the Gregorian time and incorporates the second clock dating back to 1574! It is said to even follow the movement of some 5,000 stars in God’s good heavens! The first clock was installed at Strasbourg Cathedral in 1350!

“This clock contains probably the first perpetual mechanical Gregorian computus, designed by Schwilgué in 1816.” See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbo...

What is an astronomical clock?
“An astronomical clock, horologium, or orloj is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.” Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrono...

“The main attraction of the clock is its animated figures which come out to delight the public every day at half past noon. During this performance, visitors are treated to views of the different ages of life, personified by a child, a teenager, an adult and an old man, who all parade past Death. Higher up, the apostles have their own parade, before Christ. Their journey is accompanied by the beating of wings and the sound of a large cock crowing. In front of the Clock, visitors can admire the huge Pillar of Angels which offers a highly original representation of the Last Judgment.” Tickets: https://www.visitstrasbourg.fr/en/fic...

You will also get positions and phases of the sun and the moon as well as the Ages, for instance, we are now in Pieces and next up is Aquarius. It also shows the zodiac. The second astronomical clock was an astrolabe planetary dial, still operating in the church! I asked myself, what is a "astrolabe planetary dial", well it is:

“An astrolabe is an astronomical instrument used since ancient times. It consists of rotating discs and rulers to show the positions of astronomical objects at any given time throughout the year.” Read more:
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/to...

The third clock in view includes a Heliocentric planetary dial! That is an astronomical theory or model where God’s Earth and planets revolve around the Sun which is then at the very center of the universe. It even has engineering and a methodology for computing the church holidays! There is also a flat-earth map or view of sorts, which is rather interesting. Some call it the flat earth clock! I believe that flat earth view in the center of the astronomical dial is like that for simplicities sake, then again there is a 3D globe model of the universe in front of it. That is only a ‘flat’ view from the North Pole perspective and if you look closely, you only see half of the world in 2D, so to speak.

If you’re in Strasbourg, the Cathedral is a must-see and for sure also this amazing piece of scientific and religious work, the Astronomical Clock!

#Strasbourg #Astronomical #clocks

There are surely some mysteries hidden in this Astronomical Clock in the Strasbourg Cathedral for sure!