NavList:

Below is a snapshot from a 1588 painting of England's famous queen Elizabeth I (you can see some of her royal garb at the right).  Her hand rests on a globe, which shows the Americas.

My attention was drawn to it because of the markings on the globe. The Equator is clearly marked by the black-and-white line.  Then there appears to be the lines of longitude.  But the other lines? For example, the wide pure white line.  The ecliptic?

Then there are lines radiating out from under her thumb, perhaps from London itself.  Reason?  Meaning?   And there seems to be a similar set of lines radiating out from the ecliptic between Elizabeth's pinky and ring finger. And, most importantly, why no lines of latitude? 

I understand little of the history of astronomy and early navigation, but I would somehow think latitude would be an easier concept to both understand and measure, especially if your science is to the point where the ecliptic and the Sun's maximum altitude each day of the year are understood.  

Luther Abel
Alameda, California

File: