How Islam Impacted Astronomy

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How Islam Impacted Astronomy
"It is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming" (Noble Quran 21:33). The first planet outside of our solar system was discovered in 1995 and The Qur’an remarkably referred to many heavens and earths in 632 CE. Verses in the Quran command man to contemplate about outer space and the creation of the heavens and the earth. They even go as far to mention specific names of planets and stars, “And that He is the Lord of Sirius (a star that was worshipped by pagan Arabs) (Noble Quran 53: 49). The Holy Quran is a book of knowledge and Islam encourages man to study and understand the universe. Muslim scientists watched the changing sky to understand how …show more content…

These improvements wouldn’t have been possible without their contributions in mathematics, such as inventing algebra and developing advanced trigonometry which allowed Islamic scholars to make complex calculations. Originally invented by the Greeks, the astrolabe was refined the Islamic astronomers. They improved its accuracy and elegance. These new astrolabes were independent of latitude and also incorporated complex gearing mechanisms which, tracked celestial bodies. Other Greek inventions that were improved, were mural sextants and quadrants that measured astronomical positions and celestial bodies in seconds of an arc. Muslims continued to make larger and more accurate instruments. The first planisphere tracked the movements of stars and constellations over a year and it is considered one of the first analogue computers. The equitorium was also invented by Islamic astronomers who used it to chart the movement of the sun, moon, and planets. Their contribution to astronomy cannot be ignored since many of their findings proved useful for other great astronomers. Other than improving on Ptolemy’s finding, Arabic astronomers compiled almanacs and astronomical tables such as Toledan tables, which would be used by Copernicus, Brahe and Kepler. They invented the Equatorium, compass dial, and cartographic Qiblah instruments. They also discovered many stars, which are still recognized by their Arabic names such as Betelgeuse, Alhadide, Rigel, Algol, Aldebaran, Almucantar, and the stars of the Summer Triangle, The Arabic influence can also be seen in terms, such as zenith, nadir, Aledo, azimuth. Muslim astronomers were also the first to establish a large number of huge observatories. In these observatories, Muslims excelled in making ephemeris, which relied on complicated and precise mathematical calculations. Islamic scholars, astronomers and mathematicians

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