Rude Star Finder (1921)
date: label: date made
content: 1921
name: label: maker
content: Rude, Gilbert T.
notes: label: Description
content: The Rude Star Finder lets a navigator identify a star from its altitude above the horizon. It consists of planispheric maps of the northern and southern skies, the rims of which are graduated to two minutes of time. Each planisphere has a celluloid meridian arm for determining the declination of stars, with a slide that can be adjusted for the latitude of the observer. There are in addition eleven transparent celluloid altitude-azimuth templates for use at different latitudes up to 66° north and south–that is, over the greater part of the navigable waters of the globe; a set of pins for marking the positions of the planets; an instruction brochure; and a cardboard case. The instrument bears the inscription "THE MARINER'S PRACTICAL STAR FINDER / A SIMPLE MEANS FOR IDENTIFYING AND SPOTTING STARS AND PLANETS / ... / G. T. RUDE Hydrographic and Geodetic Engineer / U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey / Patents applied for / Price $12.00"
label: Description
content: Gilbert Rude applied for a patent in December 1920. This example was made before the patent issued in December 1921. Rude donated it to the Smithsonian in 1957.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Navigation
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.315070
label: catalog number
content: 315070
label: accession number
content: 214892
objectType: label: Object Name
content: star finder
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 in; 35.56 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 in x 16 in x 1 in; 40.64 cm x 40.64 cm x 2.54 cm