Hi.
If you have the opportunity to visit the Moscow Planetarium, then be sure to buy a ticket to its branch called Urania.
This is such a museum, small in size, but very full of various antique devices.
All the devices are behind glass cases, they cannot be touched (but this is correct, otherwise nothing will be removed from them). But they are very clearly visible, it is convenient for them to photograph them.
For example, here is such a device, it is called a barograph:
Its name is formed from two Greek words that can be translated as "Heaviness" and "writing". It turns out something like "I write under weight" or "I write down the gravity readings." In fact, it is a device for continuous recording of atmospheric pressure readings. In particular, it was used by travelers on balloons, with its help they could fix the altitude of the flight.
Or another such ancient device called a "square":
It also has another name - "sextant". It was used to determine the height of celestial bodies above the horizon. This made it possible to calculate the geographical coordinates of the place where the measurement is being made.
For his school, it is 60 degrees or a sixth of a full circle, which is why it is called a "sextant" from the Greek word "six".
Another sextant, of a later modification. Even without understanding how to use it, it's just nice to look at its device, consisting of shiny tubes, scales, cogs and other small parts.
And this sentant, it seems to me, is not only a device, but also a real work of art. Just look at this splendor!
Of course, no one uses these devices anymore, we determine our location using the GPS system, which is linked to satellites in geostationary orbit. But I wish I could learn how to use them!
