Astronomy: The Astronomer Azophi (Abd al Rahman Al-Sufi)

The major discoveries of Abd al Rahman Al-Sufi changed the world the way people looked at stars in the sky. The minor planet "12621 Al-Sufi" were named after his name and lunar crater "Azophi".

In 964CE, Al-Sufi published " book of fixed stars", the one of the most important medieval Arabic treatises on astronomy which contained an extensive star cataloq, stated list of star coordinates and estimated magnitude as well as star detailed charts.

He was the first astronomer to described the nebulosity of nebula in Andromeda in his book named constellations. Al-Sufi identified more than one hundred new stars which mentioned in his constellation's commentaries. He gave a detailed explanation of the individual stars.

His influence continued reaching the world throughout history as far as the end of 19th century. Ulugh Beg 1449, the famous Timurid king and astronomer used many of his works and other astronomers.

Al-Sufi's major contribution was the building of an important observatory building in Shiraz and construction of many astronomical instruments such as astrolabes and celestial globes.

Al-Sufi's eager observations and detailed work still inform our views of the night sky more than a millennium later.

He died on May 25th, 986CE in Shiraz. He is known by the West as "Azophi".

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Civil War: Sudan's Political Turmoil and It's Solution

The Islamic Republic of Sudan, one of the Northeast African country that has been  experiencing decades of political turmoil, conflict, and civil war. The Sudan's complex history is marked by political instability, ethnic, religious crisis and economic challenges. In history, one of the most significant things in Sudan's conflicts and civil wars were the 2nd Sudanese Civil War, which lasted 22 years from 1983 to 2005. This war was fought between the coaliation of Sudanese government, led by the Arab-dominated National Islamic Front, and various rebel groups, including the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), the represented marginalised groups in the south of the country, who sought greater political representation and independence. The conflict was characterised by brutal violence, consists widespread human rights abuses, displacement of millions of people mostly women and children and famine. It is estimated that over two million people lost their lives in th...
Read more

School problem: School Dropout In Nigerian Secondary Schools & How to Reduce It

School Dropout in Nigeria In Nigeria, the rate of school dropout is a significant problem, particularly in secondary schools. There are a number of factors that contribute to this problem, including poverty, lack of access to education, and cultural and social barriers. Poverty is a major factor contributing to school dropout in Nigeria. Many families cannot afford the cost of education, including fees, uniforms, and other necessary supplies. As a result, children may have to drop out of school in order to contribute to the family income. Lack of access to education is also a significant issue in Nigeria. Many rural areas do not have sufficient schools or other educational facilities, which can make it difficult for children to receive an education. In addition, the quality of education in some areas may be poor, which can also lead to students dropping out. Cultural and social barriers can also contribute to school dropout in Nigeria. For example, some families may place a higher valu...
Read more

Conflict: Science, Religion and Culture

One of the special characteristics of science is that it is an agent of social or cultural changes because of its tremendous impact on human society. From the industrial revolution after the renaissance of Europe, to the present, the world has developed a technological culture as a matter of necessity.  Consequently, any country or nation which does not aspire to scientific and technological development will undoubtedly be doomed to absolete. Developments, advances & progress are associated with the products of science and technology and so are all aspects of human existence. They have often led to reinforcing the dynamism of culture, the way of life of a people, their norms, customs, beliefs and conducts.  As for religion, the relationship with science is one of conflicts and disputes, in history especially with the church since Christianity was the main religion among the first industrialised nations. The dispute between Galileo Galilei (1564-1942) and the Roman Catholic...
Read more