Clesthyra's Eye

First Appearance and Context

During a visit to the rooftop Starhenge above the Praesidium in the Mynster, avout identify a small, fixed fisheye instrument pointed at the zenith. Named for the mythic watcher Clesthyra, it is set into a stone pedestal with a slot sized for a Photomnemonic Tablet.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

• All‑sky recorder: Captures the entire sky in a single view, well‑suited to registering transient streaks from fast‑moving objects.
• Daylight capture: On clear days its all‑sky recordings also include the Sun’s position; these sequences can be reviewed on a photomnemonic tablet.
• Recording cadence: With a tablet inserted, it accumulates observations continuously until the medium is full; at typical settings, a single run can span months.
• Complement to telescopes: Provides continuous coverage while dome‑housed instruments target specific fields.
• Tablet handling: The Eye’s protected slot has been used to place a photomnemonic tablet for later retrieval; during a formal aut at the Mynster, an avout accessed the starhenge and withdrew a tablet that had been left there earlier. Observers later inferred that when a tablet from another rooftop instrument (the Mithra/Mylax assembly) was collected at the direction of Fraa Spelikon, the tablet in the Eye was not removed and its long‑run recording continued.
• Polar‑orbit analysis example: Time‑integrated stills produced on the tablet from all‑sky data reveal concentric star trails and repeated, nearly straight north–south streaks near the pole star, enabling identification of multiple polar‑orbiting satellites in a single night’s record.

Relationships

• Part of the rooftop complex and physically mounted on the Praesidium above the Mynster; designed to work with a photomnemonic tablet.
• Regularly maintained by the Ita, who clean the optics and inspect the access covers.

Descriptions/Characteristics

• Form: A small dome‑like fisheye lens aimed at the zenith, fixed in place with no moving parts.
• Adjacent reference: A zenith mirror stands next to the Eye on its pedestal; in all‑sky recordings the mirror’s support creates a distinctive notch that can be used for orientation.
• Protection: A dust cover shields the lens and tablet slot; it must be opened to insert or remove a tablet.
• Imaging behavior: Under all‑sky projection, fixed stars form circular trails due to the world’s rotation, while fast‑moving objects trace straight, faint tracks. The Eye does not track the sky.
• Observed upkeep: An Ita technician—identified as Sammann—has been seen polishing the lens and mirror and briefly checking the tablet slot cover; on one occasion he retrieved a loose paper dust jacket from the installation. In a later visit he placed a dust‑jacketed bundle on the parapet in plain view while eating, and on another clear day wore very dark, arc‑type goggles and spent his lunch looking toward the Sun.

Current Status/Location

Installed and in use on the rooftop, active during permitted work and observations; access follows the roof’s availability under the Discipline. Regular cleaning visits by the Ita have been observed; the instrument remains in place.