Nastulus

Nastulus
محمد بن عبد الله نسطولس
Abū Rayhān Bīrūnī's description of Nasṭūlus’s astrolabe
Born	fl. 10th century
Academic work
Era	Islamic Golden Age
Main interests	Astronomy
Influenced	Al-ʻIjliyyah[1]

Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh Nasṭūlus (Arabic: محمد بن عبد الله نسطولس; known as Nasṭūlus, but also referred to as Basṭūlus) was a 10th century astronomer. He is known for making one of the oldest surviving astrolabes, dated 927/928,^[2] as well as of another partially preserved astrolabe that bears his signature, "Made by Nasṭūlus in the year 315" of hijra (925).^[2][3]

Very little is known about Nasṭūlus. His full name, based on a testimony given by a contemporary astronomer, Abu Sa'id al-Sijzi, indicates that he was a Muslim, but some modern historians have suggested that his foreign last name may indicate that he was Greek or Nestorian.^[2]

References

1. Dodge 1970, p. 671.
2. Rius 2007.
3. King 1999, p. 87.

Sources

• Dodge, Bayard (1970). The Fihrist of Al-Nadīm: A Tenth-century Survey of Muslim Culture. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-02925-4.
• Rius, Mònica (2007). "Nasṭūlus: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh". In Thomas Hockey; et al. (eds.). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. New York: Springer. pp. 822–3. ISBN 9780387310220. (PDF version)
• King, David A. (1999). World Maps for Finding the Direction and Distance of Mecca: Examples of Innovation and Tradition in Islamic Science. Brill Publishers. ISBN 978-90-04-11367-1.

Further reading

Websites

• "A remarkable mathematical and astronomical brass instrument signed by Nastulus, one of the leading astronomer-craftsmen of late-9th and early 10th-century Baghdad". London: Sotheby's. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
• "History of the Astrolabe". History of Science Museum. University of Oxford. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
• "Nastulus - Planispheric Astrolabe Made by Nastulus (or Bastilus)". Fine Arts Library Image Collection Search Collection. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 31 January 2023.

Journals

• King, David A. (2008). "An Instrument of Mass Calculation made by NasÐūlus in Baghdad ca. 900" (PDF). Suhayl. 8: 93–119. ISSN 1576-9372.

External links

• Image of one of the two astrolabes made by Nasṭūlus from the Al-Sabah Collection website
• Description of a manuscript dated Jumadi II 625 AH (May 1228) from the exhibition Scanning the Skies: A Virtual Exhibit of Astronomy Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania, showing a description of one of Nasṭūlus’s astrolabes