Abstract
The history of Islamic astronomy falls under the influence of Aristotelian cosmology, in which
orbs have a principal role in holding and moving the planets. Based on the prevalent accepted Aristotelian
idea, these orbs are spherical shells that rotate around their center and are made of a particular substance
called aether. No lightness or heaviness, rarefaction or condensation, and generation or corruption exist in
the aether-filled heavens. Subsequently, any tearing or mending of these orbs is impossible. This assumption
leads to a basic rule: the planets do not move in an orb but by an orb. During the medieval Islamic age,
new models emerged for solving some of the anomalies in Ptolemaic astronomy; however, the assumption
above was rarely disputed. This paper will introduce an unordinary case based on the book Science of the
Cosmos and the Soul by Shams al-Dīn al-Samarqandī in which, besides the standard Ptolemaic system, some
alternative models were briefly presented: in these new models, the tearing or mending of these orbs is
possible. Considering that this assumption conflicts with Aristotelian physics, these models can be regarded
as non-Aristotelian.
Keywords
Shams al-Dīn al-Samarqandī Science of the Cosmos and the Soul post-Classical Islamic astronomy non-Aristotelian physics planetary models Ptolemaic astronomyShare
Details
- Authors: Hanif Ghalandari, Dr., University of Tehran
Hassan Amini, Assist. Prof., University of Tehran - DOI: dx.doi.org/10.12658/Nazariyat.8.2. M0188en
- Year: 2022 (November) / Volume: 8 / Issue: 2
- Page: 129-144
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