{"product_id":"9783032271419","title":"Planetary Astronomy in the Classical Islamic Period Wondering About the Wanderers","description":"\u003ch3\u003eSources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch1\u003ePlanetary Astronomy in the Classical Islamic Period\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWondering About the Wanderers\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eS. Mohammad Mozaffari\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003eScience \/ Space Science \/ Astronomy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"x_MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eThis book provides the first comprehensive analysis of planetary observations preserved in Ibn Yūnus's (d. 1009 CE) \u003cem\u003eḤākimī zīj\u003c\/em\u003e, a unique treasure from the classical period of Islamic astronomy (9th -10th centuries). It offers readers a detailed reconstruction of how medieval astronomers observed, tested, and refined quantitative planetary theories developed on the basis of Ptolemaic models, revealing the dynamic interplay between empirical practice and theoretical innovation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n\u003cdiv\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"x_MsoNormal\"\u003eThe study focuses on the observational records of Ḥabash, al-Māhānī, Ibn Yūnus, and the Banū Amājūr family, situating them within the broader intellectual tradition of early Islamic astronomy. By examining these selective but invaluable reports, the book demonstrates how astronomers used conjunctions, appulses, and occultations to evaluate the accuracy of planetary theories and to propose corrective strategies to refine them. The analysis is broadened to include other prominent figures, such as Battānī, Ibn al-Aʿlam, Kūshyār, and Bīrūnī, in order to assess whether and in what manner their theories were contingent upon observational activities and empirical methodologies.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n\u003cdiv\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"x_MsoNormal\"\u003eThe main topics include: the methodological link between observation and theory in Islamic astronomy; technical reconstructions of sky configurations to assess visibility, precision, and instrument capability; the identification of anomalies in Ptolemaic planetary models and the corrective strategies (\u003cem\u003eistidrāk\u003c\/em\u003e\/\u003cem\u003etaṣḥīḥ\u003c\/em\u003e) devised by Islamic astronomers; and the transformation of tools—from printed ephemerides to modern sky-simulation software—that now allow scholars to revisit ancient records with clarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n\u003cdiv\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"x_MsoNormal\"\u003eThese topics are important and relevant because they challenge the prevailing narrative of Islamic astronomy. The evidence shows a vibrant culture of empirical testing, methodological innovation, and theoretical refinement. The book highlights how Islamic astronomers recognized deep-seated deficiencies in Ptolemaic models and developed heuristic remedies, anticipating later scientific transformations.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n\u003cdiv\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"x_MsoNormal\"\u003eHistorians of science, scholars of Islamic intellectual history, astronomers interested in the evolution of observational practice, and early-career researchers seeking methodological clarity in the study of historical astronomy will find great value in this text.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eS. Mohammad Mozaffari\u003c\/strong\u003e is an Iranian historian of medieval astronomy whose research centers on the growth and development of observational practices, their relationship to theoretical models in the Medieval Middle East, and their diffusion across the lands from India to Spain. He has published widely in leading journals such as the \u003cem\u003eJournal for the History of Astronomy\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eArchive for History of Exact Sciences\u003c\/em\u003e, contributing to the study of solar theories, star tables, planetary parameters, and the instruments and techniques of medieval observers. His work has also offered new perspectives on the systematic programs of observation at the Maragha and Samarqand observatories, reshaping our understanding of how empirical data informed theoretical innovation. His most recent book, \u003cem\u003eReflections on Observational Astronomy in the Islamic Period\u003c\/em\u003e (Routledge, 2025), provides a comprehensive synthesis of these themes and situates Islamic astronomy within the broader history of science. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union and serves as Advisory Editor of the \u003cem\u003eJournal for the History of Astronomy\u003c\/em\u003e, Associate Editor of \u003cem\u003eSCIAMVS: Sources and Commentaries in the Exact Sciences\u003c\/em\u003e, and Associate Editor of the \u003cem\u003eJournal of Astronomical History and Heritage\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e04 July 2026\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSpringer Nature Switzerland\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSpringer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9783032271419\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e287\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Springer Nature Switzerland","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47662098677900,"sku":"9783032271419","price":179.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/9783032271419.jpg?v=1781057001","url":"https:\/\/fh90cf-fv.myshopify.com\/products\/9783032271419","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}