5" Nautical Functional Astrolabe Brass Armillary Sphere World Globe Rosewood Base Table Decor Gift It was used extensively in Greek antiquity as a teaching tool to explain the workings of the Solar System or use as a table decoration and gift Also great product for those in need of an antique, nautical, or collectible globe.An armillary sphere (variations are known as a spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armille) A model of objects in the sky is (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a circular structure of rings. , centered on the Earth or the Sun, representing the lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features, such as the ecliptic. As such, it distinguished from a celestial globe, which is a smooth sphere whose main purpose is to map the constellations. It was invented separately in ancient Greece and ancient China, with later uses