weather vane
instrument
Quick Summary
rooster weather vane
Rooster weather vane, sheet and wrought iron, American, 19th century; in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 73.6 × 166.4 × 4.5 cm.
A weather vane, also known as a wind vane, is an instrument used to indicate the direction of the wind. It typically consists of a rotating pointer that aligns itself with the wind's direction. Some modern versions, called aerovanes, are equipped with a propeller to also measure wind speed. The use of such instruments is crucial for understanding and forecasting weather patterns. The earliest forms of weather vanes date back to at least the early 18th century.1234
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