Purple Mountain Observatory
Nanjing, Jiangsu, PRC

21. Armillary Sphere

It is an ancient China's cast-bronze astronomical instrument, engraved with excellent artistry. It has an observing tube, which is used mainly for determining the equatorial coordinates and the longitudes and horizontal coordinates of celestial bodies. It is a copy made in 1437, the second year of the Zheng-Tong Reign of the Ming Dynasty.