armillary sphere

ar·mil·lar·y sphere  (ärm-lr, är-ml-r)

n.

An old astronomical model with solid rings, all circles of a single sphere, used to display relationships among the principal celestial circles.

---

[Translation of French sphère armillaire, from Latin armilla, bracelet, from armus, shoulder; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

---

armillary sphere  (ärm-lr, är-ml-r)

An early astronomical device made of fixed and movable rings representing circles of the celestial sphere, such as the ecliptic and the celestial equator. It was used as early as the third century bce as both a teaching instrument and an observational tool.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

armillary sphere - a celestial globe consisting of metal hoops; used by early astronomers to determine the positions of stars armilla celestial globe - a globe that is a spherical model of the heavens