Alsufi called it little cloud alternatively translated as a small cloudy patch and provided a representative image of. Alsufi states at the beginning of the book of fixed stars that his charts are modeled after those that were produced by ptolemy, so alsufi left them out of his charts as well. Alsufis book of the fixed stars, dating from around ad 964, is one of the most important medieval arabic treatises on astronomy. On friday 27th of january, 2018, i gave a presentation at the kw rasc on alsufis book of fixed stars. Contributions of islamic astronomy the muslim observer. Abd alrahman alsufi and his book of the fixed stars. It was an attempt to create a synthesis of the comprehensive star catalogue in ptolemys almagest books vii and viii with the indigenous arabic. This major work contains detailed star charts and an extensive star. Abd alrahman alsufi simple english wikipedia, the free.
Also, he was the first to attempt to relate the greek with the traditional arabic star names and constellations, which was difficult as. It spread widely from central asia, throughout the middle east, and to europe. The book was written in arabic, although the author himself was persian. In 964, he documented the existance of the andromeda galaxy, our closest neighbor, and called it little cloud. The lunar crater azophi and the minor planet 12621 alsufi are named after him. Alsufi was the first astronomer to describe the nebulosity of the nebula in andromeda in his book of constellations atlas of heavens. Kawakib althabitah book of the images of the fixed stars which he completed in shiraz around 964. Al sufi dedicated his book the constellations of the fixed stars. Alsufis book of the constellations of the fixed stars, followed by maxims, and alqazwinis the wonders of creation. Originally written in arabic, it was later translated into persian and also into latin. It was in this city that sufi compiled his magnum opus kitab suwar alkawakib althabita book on the constellations of the fixed stars. He also wrote a comprehensive treatise on the astrolabe in 1760 chapters which only survives in a shortened version in 170 chapters.
The book is the first illustrated pictorial star atlas, and was very influential for centuries after it was authored. Alsufi published kitab alkawatib althabit almusawwar also commonly known as the book of fixed stars in ad 964 and dedicated it to adud aldawla, the current ruler of buwayhid at the time. Abd alrahman alsufi 7 december 903 25 may 986, known as alsufi, was a persian astronomer. Liens externes en une biographie dal soufi en une page sur les astronomes musulmans constellation dorion par al soufi.
The book was written in arabic, although the author. The book of fixed stars is an astronomical text written by abd alrahman alsufi around 964. This major work contains an extensive star catalogue, which lists star coordinates and magnitude estimates, as well as detailed star. David storm rice, the oldest illustrated arabic manuscript, bulletin of the school of oriental and african studies, 22 1959, 207220. Abd alrahman alsufi, known in the west as azophi, was one of the two most outstanding practical astronomers of the middle ages. This major work contains an extensive star catalog, which lists star coordinates and magnitude estimates, as well as detailed star charts. It was an attempt to create a synthesis of the most popular classical work of astronomy ptolemys almagest with the indigenous arabic. He told me of a distant land where no star should ever set its shine.
Al sufi contributed several corrections to ptolemys star list, in particular he did own brightnessmagnitude estimates which frequently deviated from those in ptolemys work. This appeared in or shortly after ad 964, some eight hundred years after the original almagest was written. This book, based on the almagest of the greek astronomer ptolemy, concerns the forty. Liber locis stellarum fixarum, 964, manoscritto del 1417 riprodotto il 1730 da.
The astronomical community has honored al sufi by naming a moon crater after him. Alsufis most famous work is kitab suwar alkawakib book of the constellations of the fixed stars. Alsufi wrote his book of fixed stars in 964, in text and pictures biography. And while the noted greek astronomer ptolemy noted it as a haze, it was abd alrahman alsufi who first distinctly recorded in his kitab. Influence on islamic and western celestial cartography. Alsufis book of the constellations of the fixed stars, followed by. Alsufi called it little cloud alternatively translated as a small cloudy patch and.
Relationship of the bright stars and their constellations. Pdf abdulrahman alsufi and his book of the fixed stars. Abd alrahman alsufi was a persian astronomer who lived during the 10th century. Abd alrahman alsufi, known in the west as azophi, was one of the two most outstanding. Alsufis book of the images of the fixed stars and its influence on. The book of fixed stars by abd alrahman alsufi all astronomers know the names of ptolemy, tycho brahe and johannes hevelius, three landmark characters who catalogued the stars with everincreasing accuracy between the second and seventeenth centuries. The astronomer abd alrahman ibn umar alsufi, commonly known as alsufi, was born in persia presentday iran in 903 a.
The second is a 17thcentury ottoman turkish translation of the first part on the supraterrestrial creatures of kitab ajaib almakhluqat wagharaib almawjudat the wonders. The book of the fixed stars was written by the persian astronomer abdulrahman alsufi around ad 964, and is one of the most important medieval arabic treatises on astronomy. The lunar crater azophi and the minor planet 12621 alsufi commemorate his achievements in astronomy. He worked in isfahan and in baghdad, and is known for his translation from greek into arabic of the almagest by the ancient astronomer ptolemy. Sufi wrote several books on the subject of astronomy all of which are in the arabic language, such as on the use of the astrolabe, the celestial globe, and an introduction to the science of astrology.