Al-Battani (Albatenius)

أبو عبد الله محمد بن جابر البتاني (Known as "The Ptolemy of the Arabs")

Astronomer, Mathematician, Discoverer of the Solar Apogee Motion

Born c. 858 CE

Harran (Upper Mesopotamia), Turkey

Passed Away 929 CE Qasr al-Jiss (near Samarra), Iraq

Lifespan ~71 years old

8 views

Notice / Correction

"The science of the stars ranks next to religion as the most noble of human pursuits, revealing the perfection of cosmic architecture."

Archival Overview

Great astronomer and mathematician of the Islamic Golden Age whose Kitab al-Zij corrected Ptolemy's calculations, measured the solar year to within 2 minutes, and replaced chords with trigonometric sines.

Biographical Record

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Jabir al-Battani (c. 858–929 CE), known to Europe as Albatenius, observed the heavens for forty years from his private observatory in Raqqa on the Euphrates River. Correcting major errors in Ptolemy's Almagest, he demonstrated that the Sun's apogee moves across the zodiac.

He measured the length of the tropical solar year with remarkable precision as 365 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 24 seconds (differing by only 2 minutes and 22 seconds from modern atomic measurement). He introduced modern trigonometric functions (sines, tangents, and cotangents) into astronomical tables, directly influencing Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Galileo.

Key Life Milestones

c. 900 CE

Publication of 'Kitab al-Zij' (Astronomical Tables)

Published his 57-chapter astronomical handbook containing precision trigonometric tables and eclipse predictions.

c. 910 CE

Precision Measurement of the Tropical Year and Precession

Determined the precession of equinoxes as 54.5 arcseconds per year and calculated the obliquity of the ecliptic.

Memorial Guestbook & Tributes

0 messages recorded

Leave a Respectful Tribute

Select a sentiment or reaction (optional):

Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

Your Name / Title *

Your Email (Private, for anti-abuse)

Tribute Message *

No tributes recorded yet. Be the first to leave a message in honor of Al-Battani (Albatenius).

Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Harran Ancient Astronomical Sanctuary
Harran (Şanlıurfa), Turkey

                         GPS: 36.8647, 39.0314                    

View on Memory Atlas

Archival Standards PastLegacies adheres to strict neutral biographical guidelines and legal standards of remembrance. Next-of-kin may request modifications or removal at any time via our expedited process.

Read Governance Policy →