Kharaqī’s Star Catalogue: A Star table from Medieval Arabic Astronomy

Document Type : Research/Original/Reqular Article

Authors

1 Faculty Member, Institute of the History of Science, University of Tehran

2 Institute for History of Science University of Tehran

Abstract

In the Classical Islamic age, the star catalogues are highly influenced by Ptolemy's work. Nevertheless, Arab scholars were active in making amendments to Almagest’s values. Studying these catalogues in their context related to Arabic astronomical traditions will shed some light on the historical evolution of the subject. This paper focuses on the star catalogues in hayʾa tradition, specifically Muntaha al-ʾidrāk fī taqāsīm al-ʾaflāk (The Utmost Attainment on the Divisions of the Orbs), by ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Kharaqī (1084-1158 A.D.), which presents a relatively detailed star catalogue. We introduce this catalogue, identify its sources, and discuss its distinctive features.

Keywords

References

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