Fun Fact Fiesta Logo

Top 5 Amazing Fun Facts About Barometers You Never Knew!

illustration of barometers
Dive into the whimsical world of barometers, where pressures and predictions abound with these fascinating fun facts!

1. Aristocratic Weather Forecasting

If you're ever in the need to impress aristocratic ghosts or simply hanker for a touch of high-class weather forecasting, antique barometers are your go-to item of choice: A pristine, functional antique barometer can set you back a cool $25,000, owing to their origins as an accessory for the upper crust and the astonishing delicacy of their glass components.
Source => scammellauctions.com.au

2. Bowling Ball Meteorologist

In a weather-forecasting world before Doppler radars and satellite imaging, 1643's answer to a pocket-sized meteorologist weighed as much as a bowling ball filled with liquid metal: Evangelista Torricelli crafted the first barometer using a 35-inch tube filled with mercury, reducing the size significantly from its 60-foot-long water-based predecessor. Move over, Al Roker!
Source => noaa.gov

3. Torricelli's Pressure Masterpiece

When Italian scientist Evangelista Torricelli wasn’t busy pumping up Galileo’s jam, he decided to create a masterpiece of his own that would leave us all feeling a little bit under pressure: In the 17th century, Torricelli invented the glass tube mercury barometer, paving the way for advancements in meteorology with the aneroid barometer by Leibnitz and pressure-tube anemometer by Huet, allowing for an improved understanding of atmospheric forces and storm movement.
Source => encyclopedia.com

4. Air's Pressure Spills the Beans

When air plays "pressure" cooker, it can't help but spill the beans on the weather: Barometers, invented by Italian scientist Evangelista Torricelli using mercury-filled tubes, help us predict weather changes by measuring atmospheric pressure, thus proving that air has mass and pressure. Just don't send one into space – without atmosphere, our astronaut pals are left out of the barometric loop!
Source => e-missions.net

Victorian iPad Weatherman

5. Victorian iPad Weatherman

In an era when iPads were wooden and had no screens, the barometer reigned supreme as the weatherman's best friend: Victorians used these luxurious mahogany and satinwood instruments, crafted by renowned makers like James H Kelly and Negretti & Zambra, to measure atmospheric pressure and predict upcoming weather patterns, making them prized collectibles even today.
Source => 1stdibs.com

Related Fun Facts