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Martín Cortés de Albacar (1510–1582) was a Spanish
Navigational Manual of Cortés
and the text contained the earliest known description of the NocturnalHarriet Wynter and Anthony Turner, ''Scientific Instruments'', Studio Vista, 1975, and how to make and use a sea astrolabeSwanick, Lois Ann. ''An Analysis of Navigational Instruments in the Age of Exploration: 15th Century to Mid-17th century'', MA Thesis, Texas A&M University, December 2005 Cortés' calculations were critical in allowing explorers to ascertain their location when out of sight of land. In 1574, the mathematician William Bourne, produced a popular version of the book, entitled ''A Regiment for the Sea''. Bourne was critical of some aspects of ''Arte de Navegar'' and produced a manual of more practical use to the seaman.G. L'E. Turner, 'Bourne, William (c.1535–1582)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 He died aged 72.
Martín Cortés de Albacar (1510–1582) was a Spanish cosmographer
The term cosmography has two distinct meanings: traditionally it has been the protoscience of mapping the general features of the cosmos, heaven and Earth; more recently, it has been used to describe the ongoing effort to determine the large-scal ...
.p131 Antonio Barrera-Osorio ''Experiencing nature: the Spanish American empire and the early scientific revolution;'' University of Texas Press, 2006 In 1551 he published the standard navigational textbook ''Arte de navegar'' (also known as ''Breve compendio'')
Cortés was born in Bujaraloz
Bujaraloz is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 1,002 inhabitants.
See also
*Monegros
*List of municipalities in Zaragoza
This is a list ...
, province of Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Province of Zaragoza, Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Ara ...
, Aragon. From 1530, in Cádiz, he taught cosmography and the art of navigation to pilots.
''Art of Navigation''
Cortés' book, ''Breve compendio,''...''Arte de navegar'' was promoted by Steven Borough who had it translated into English by Richard Eden and published in 1561 entitled ''The Art of Navigation.'' As such it became the first English manual of navigationAndrew Hadfield, ‘ Eden, Richard (c.1520–1576)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004 and the primary text for European navigation throughout the early 17thC, enjoyed by such as Martin Frobisher and Francis Drake.
''Arte de navegar'' was a practical book in which Cortés discussed, in a concise manner, navigation, cosmography and problems such as magnetic declination for which he hypothesised a Celestial magnetic pole.
He included many illustrations and models for making instruments.Antonio Barrera, Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theolog ...
Navigational Manual of Cortés
and the text contained the earliest known description of the NocturnalHarriet Wynter and Anthony Turner, ''Scientific Instruments'', Studio Vista, 1975, and how to make and use a sea astrolabeSwanick, Lois Ann. ''An Analysis of Navigational Instruments in the Age of Exploration: 15th Century to Mid-17th century'', MA Thesis, Texas A&M University, December 2005 Cortés' calculations were critical in allowing explorers to ascertain their location when out of sight of land. In 1574, the mathematician William Bourne, produced a popular version of the book, entitled ''A Regiment for the Sea''. Bourne was critical of some aspects of ''Arte de Navegar'' and produced a manual of more practical use to the seaman.G. L'E. Turner, 'Bourne, William (c.1535–1582)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 He died aged 72.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortes De Albacar, Martin 1510 births 1582 deaths 16th-century Spanish astronomers Spanish navigators