
Home > Terms > English, UK (UE) > Antikythera mechanism
Antikythera mechanism
The Antikythera mechanism is an analogue computer that was used by the Greeks more than 2000 years ago to locate and predict the positions of celestial objects. When new, the device was made of bronze with a wooden frame and was roughly the size of a wall clock. The name Antikythera comes from the island near where the device was discovered in the remains of a shipwreck that occurred in or around the year 76 B.C.
Like a mechanical clock, the Antikythera mechanism has dials along with a sophisticated system of gears. It bears inscriptions that have been deciphered. Based on its construction and on the nature of the writing, scientists have deduced that the Antikythera mechanism must have been used to measure astronomical time based on cycles of the sun, the moon and the planets. In this way it could have been employed to predict solar and lunar eclipses, tides and the recurrence of the seasons. These functions would have made the device useful to farmers, seafarers and perhaps even military commanders.
- Part of Speech: proper noun
- Synonym(s):
- Blossary:
- Industry/Domain: Mathematics
- Category: Algebra
- Company:
- Product:
- Acronym-Abbreviation:
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Featured Terms
phylum placozoa
Macroscopic, flattened marine animals, composed of ventral and dorsal epithelial layers enclosing ...
phylum cnidaria
Cnidarians. Hydras, hydroids, jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals. Free-swimming or sessile, with ...
share a term with millions
Share a term with millions of users around the world and increase your online visibility.Share a ...
oak
Genus native to the Northern Hemisphere with spirally arranged leaves, catkins for flowers and ...
Everest
The last but not least mount Everest. The Earth's highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres ...
aglaonema
Genus of about 20 species of usually rhizomatous, evergreen perennials from tropical forest in Asia. ...
Robojelly
Robojelly is a hydrogen-powered robot desgined in the United States that moves through the water ...
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was an Austrian-German automotive engineer ...
Marzieh Afkham
Marzieh Afkham, who is the country’s first foreign ministry spokeswoman, will head a mission in east ...
define1
Share a term with millions of users around the world and increase your online visibility.Share a ...
Contributor
Featured blossaries
stanley soerianto
0
Terms
107
Blossaries
6
Followers
5 Best Macau Casinos


Browers Terms By Category
- General architecture(562)
- Bridges(147)
- Castles(114)
- Landscape design(94)
- Architecture contemporaine(73)
- Skyscrapers(32)
Architecture(1050) Terms
- Plastic injection molding(392)
- Industrial manufacturing(279)
- Paper production(220)
- Fiberglass(171)
- Contract manufacturing(108)
- Glass(45)
Manufacturing(1257) Terms
- Contracts(640)
- Home improvement(270)
- Mortgage(171)
- Residential(37)
- Corporate(35)
- Commercial(31)
Real estate(1184) Terms
- News(147)
- Radio & TV broadcasting equipment(126)
- TV equipment(9)
- Set top box(6)
- Radios & accessories(5)
- TV antenna(1)
Broadcasting & receiving(296) Terms
- General jewelry(850)
- Style, cut & fit(291)
- Brands & labels(85)
- General fashion(45)