Ibn Hibinta's Islamic astronomical treatise Al Mughuni catalogs seven tailed stars. E.S. Kennedy's 1957 article in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies examined comets in Islamic astronomy and astrology Ibn Hibinta, a Christian astrologer of Baghdad, wrote an astrological work called Al Mughini (likely 929 CE) A copy of the second part is held at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich
E.S. Kennedy's 1957 JNES article explored comets in Islamic astronomy, including Ibn Hibinta's treatise Al Mughini (likely 929 CE). Held at Munich's Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, its 'Stars Having Tails' section catalogs seven tailed stars with vivid names like 'Tayfur' (akin to Typhon) and 'Nazac' (spear/serpent). 📖☄️
Key Facts
- E.S. Kennedy's 1957 article in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies examined comets in Islamic astronomy and astrology
- Ibn Hibinta, a Christian astrologer of Baghdad, wrote an astrological work called Al Mughini (likely 929 CE)
- A copy of the second part is held at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich
- On folio 67, a section is titled "On the Stars Having Tails" and describes seven such stars in the sphere of the sun
- Five of these named stars are cataloged, including "Tayfur" (compared to the Greek comet Typhon)
- "Nazac" is identified as a Persian loanword in Arabic meaning a short spear, also used for comet or serpent
- Additional comet names include Dhu al-Hayya ("the bearded one") and "the hunchback"
Source: The Mysterious Messages of the Cosmos by The Randall Carlson