A 16th-century Spanish Armada-era astrolabe has made a remarkable journey across the globe, finally returning to its birthplace on the Isles of Scilly in southwest Britain. The Pednathise Head astrolabe, a rare and valuable navigational instrument used by sailors to determine latitude, had languished on the seabed for hundreds of years before being rediscovered off the coast of Australia.
It is believed that after being sold and leaving the UK, the astrolabe passed through private collections in several countries, its true identity forgotten along the way. At one point, it was misidentified as another astrolabe found on a ship called the Nassau, a Dutch vessel that sank off Malaysia in 1606.
The instrument eventually found its way into the collection of an Australian antiques dealer, who purchased it for "peanuts" – a fraction of its true worth. However, after being seized by the state due to serious crimes committed by its owner, the astrolabe resurfaced on the Florida Keys, where it was donated to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.
US expert James Jobling later identified the astrolabe and helped track down its origins, with the instrument making stops in Texas and Cornwall before returning to Scilly. The Isles of Scilly Museum has welcomed the astrolabe back home, where it will take pride of place as the centerpiece of a navigation case at the revamped museum on St Mary's next year.
The return of the Pednathise Head astrolabe is a significant milestone for the Isles of Scilly, which are infamous for shipwrecks. The instrument provides a fascinating glimpse into the maritime history of the region and will undoubtedly captivate visitors to the museum.
It is believed that after being sold and leaving the UK, the astrolabe passed through private collections in several countries, its true identity forgotten along the way. At one point, it was misidentified as another astrolabe found on a ship called the Nassau, a Dutch vessel that sank off Malaysia in 1606.
The instrument eventually found its way into the collection of an Australian antiques dealer, who purchased it for "peanuts" – a fraction of its true worth. However, after being seized by the state due to serious crimes committed by its owner, the astrolabe resurfaced on the Florida Keys, where it was donated to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.
US expert James Jobling later identified the astrolabe and helped track down its origins, with the instrument making stops in Texas and Cornwall before returning to Scilly. The Isles of Scilly Museum has welcomed the astrolabe back home, where it will take pride of place as the centerpiece of a navigation case at the revamped museum on St Mary's next year.
The return of the Pednathise Head astrolabe is a significant milestone for the Isles of Scilly, which are infamous for shipwrecks. The instrument provides a fascinating glimpse into the maritime history of the region and will undoubtedly captivate visitors to the museum.
i cant even believe its back on scilly!!! i was reading about how it got lost in australia and i thought that was the end of it 
but nope, it ended up on florida keys and then texas 
who knew it went through so many hands?! i'm glad its being showcased at the isles of scilly museum tho! i mean, can you imagine how cool it must be to hold that in your hands? 
i've always been fascinated by old navigational instruments, like they're just windows into the past 
anyway, i hope people come from all over to see this amazing piece of history 
this is like whoa what an incredible journey for that astrolabe I mean seriously hundreds of years lost at sea and now it's back in scilly like full circle 
the fact that it went through all those countries and ended up in a florida keys museum is just wild 
I'm beyond thrilled to see this ancient astrolabe finally back home in Scilly! It's crazy to think it was just sitting on the seabed for centuries, waiting to be rediscovered 
. I just hope they have some awesome exhibits and stories surrounding it so we can all learn more about this amazing piece of navigational history 
so like this old astrolabe from 16th century spain gets lost on the seabed for centuries & then gets found in australia!!! 
anyway, it goes through all these private collections & gets sold off without anyone knowin its true worth. crazy! 
but eventually it ends up in florida & is donated to this museum 
& now its goin back 2 britain where its from! 
its like a big ol' homecomin for the astrolabe, i guess? 
Can't wait for the museum revamp next year and seeing this incredible astrolabe up close 
.
its crazy that people could lose track of its true identity for so long, and that it had to go through all those different hands before making its way back home. i'm sure its gonna be super interesting to see the navigation case at the museum next year - can you imagine what other secrets it might hold? 
