Which Portuguese prince established an observatory and school of navigation at Sagres and directed voyages that spurred the growth of Portugal's colonial empire?

Which Portuguese prince established an observatory and school of navigation at Sagres and directed voyages that spurred the growth of Portugal's colonial empire?

• A. Odin and Thor
• B. Mongols
• C. Prince Henry the Navigator
• D. Mariner's Astrolabe

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how organized sponsorship and training in navigation helped start Europe’s era of overseas exploration. The figure who fits this is Prince Henry the Navigator. He was a Portuguese prince who established Sagres as a center for maritime study, including an observatory and a school of navigation, and he financed and directed voyages that pushed down the African coast. This combination of scientific learning, skilled crew, and funded expeditions built the foundation for Portugal’s later empire by expanding knowledge of sailing routes, improving navigation techniques, and creating experienced explorers who could undertake long ocean voyages. Odin and Thor are mythological figures from Norse legend, not real historical leaders. The Mongols were a vast empire in Asia, unrelated to Portuguese exploration. A mariner’s astrolabe is a navigational instrument, not a person who organized voyages, so it wouldn’t be the one directing Portugal’s early expansion.

The idea being tested is how organized sponsorship and training in navigation helped start Europe’s era of overseas exploration. The figure who fits this is Prince Henry the Navigator. He was a Portuguese prince who established Sagres as a center for maritime study, including an observatory and a school of navigation, and he financed and directed voyages that pushed down the African coast. This combination of scientific learning, skilled crew, and funded expeditions built the foundation for Portugal’s later empire by expanding knowledge of sailing routes, improving navigation techniques, and creating experienced explorers who could undertake long ocean voyages.

Odin and Thor are mythological figures from Norse legend, not real historical leaders. The Mongols were a vast empire in Asia, unrelated to Portuguese exploration. A mariner’s astrolabe is a navigational instrument, not a person who organized voyages, so it wouldn’t be the one directing Portugal’s early expansion.