Astronomy and Astrology in the Islamic World (The New Edinburgh Islamic Surveys)

## Surveys the contributions of Islamic astronomers and mathematicians to the development of astronomy and astrology It was the astronomers and mathematicians of the Islamic world who provided the theories and concepts that paved the way from the geocentric theories of Claudius Ptolemy in the second century AD to the heliocentric breakthroughs of Nicholas Copernicus and Johannes Kepler in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Algebra, the Arabic numeral system, and trigonometry: all these and more originated in the Muslim East and undergirded an increasingly accurate and sophisticated understanding of the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets. This nontechnical overview of the Islamic advances in the heavenly sciences allows the general reader to appreciate (for the first time) the absolutely crucial role that Muslim scientists played in the overall development of astronomy and astrology in the Eurasian world. ## Key Features * The first accessible, non-technical history of Islamic astronomy and astrology * Surveys the major advances in the heavenly sciences from Isfahan, Maragha and Samarqand from the ninth to the sixteenth centuries * Shows the impact of astronomy and astrology on individuals and institutions * Looks at the influence of almanacs and horoscopes in the Mughal, Ottoman and Safavid Empires * Considers the ways Islamic astronomy and astrology shaped beliefs and practices in the medieval and early modern Islamic and European worlds Did you know that the almanacs, horoscopes and astrology referenced by early modern Europeans, including Roger Bacon, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, originated in the Islamic world? In the 11th century, Omar Khayyam produced a new astronomical treatise and established algebra as a separate discipline. In the 13th century, Nasir al-Din Tusi supervised the compilation of an updated astronomical treatise and created the mathematical field of trigonometry. And in the 15th century, Ulugh Beg produced star catalogues and planetary tables so accurate that they continued to be consulted in Europe and the Middle East until the early 17th century. 0This textbook looks at the development of astronomy and astrology in the Islamic world from the 9th to the 17th century and their influence on the beliefs and practices of individuals and institutions in the Islamic world and Europe Surveys The Contributions Of Islamic Astronomers And Mathematicians To The Development Of Astronomy And Astrology. From Egypt To Islam -- From Muhammad To The Seljuqs -- The Observatory In Isfahan -- Astronomy And Astrology In Al-andalus -- The Observatory In Maragha -- The Observatory In Samarqand -- The Observatory In Istanbul -- The Observatory In Shahjahanabad -- Medieval And Early-modern Europe -- Conclusion -- Glossary: Astronomical Instruments. Stephen P. Blake. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This textbook surveys the major advances in the heavenly sciences from Isfahan, Maragha and Samarqand. It looks at the development of astronomy and astrology in the Islamic world from the 9th to the 17th century, and their influence on the beliefs