Z Practical Astronomy Spring 2016 Monday 7:00am ~ 10:00am Dr. Youssef Ismail Course Description This course is an introduction and survey to Islamic Astronomy (‘ilm al-filak), Time-keeping (tavwgit) and navigation as it has developed in Muslim as well as Western history. [tis not a standard astronomy course as given at colleges and universities today. It is an astronomy course designed to open the student up to the elements of wonder that surround us and relate to the earth and sky phenomena. We are embodied creatures in a space-time continuum of bodies. Our experience of the world around us is based upon each individual being the center of the universe. This centrality is a divinely designed perspective to ensure that humans understand their centrality and importance in the plan of the universe itself. We are intended. ‘The universe is the big man, and we are the little universe. As Imam ‘Ali stated: “You deem yourself insignificant, And yet in you the entire universe resides. Course Goals ‘The student will learn how the heavens relate to us as signs of God’s order and design. We will study the structure of the solar system from a pre-modem perspective as naked eye phenomena and how this perspective is still valid from an existential experience of the world. At the same time we will examine the modern perspective and how both the Muslim and European discoveries of the likes of Al-Tusi, Al-Shatir, Ibn Al-Haytham, Brahe, Copernicus, and Keppler give us the understanding we have today. We will look at the concepts of Gravity, Space and Time and how they relate to our daily experienecs. The student will also learn to understand daily and monthly sky phenomena. ‘The sun, moon, planets and stars will be presented as observable phenomena thet help us define and understand the concepts of both time and movement and lead us to the concepts of light and its speed, a spatial-temporal limit of physical bodies. The movements of the sun, moon and stars will give the student a practical working means to determine prayer times and marking the beginnings of the Islamic months tied to fasting, holidays and the Hajj. To this end the student will learn how to employ shadows to determine prayer time as well as the making of a local sundial for the determination of time. The phases of the moon will be studied as well as understanding the endeavor of moon-sighting and the debate surrounding it. The stars will also be employed in understanding navigation, locations on the earth and how to move from one place to another, which leads to the determination of the Qiblah, and how to orient oneself in that direction by ‘making and using a magnetic compass. Further we will gain an understanding the size of the earth by examining both the methods of Eratosthenes and Al-Biruni in measuring the size of the earth, The student will also construct a simple but effective inclinometer to measure the movement of stars and planets and aid in both the determination of location as well as in marking time.Course Map Tone } Ga Tea Aiae Ta a | i Gviy F__S— Ait Someta co Bae \ st 3 Al-Tusi anton Tory Coneriut [ Big Bane i | ; Theology oY Sexe ¥ Ses fa ZN a a cee | [ass em] [seat | [a] [See y 1 a : oa SoS oe vests cca Si ofthe Devices T : sighing Tank | \ 2 etinometr a Gre “Sond iad 1 Tratosthenes| NZ each tient wi See y [Lemme bat and se these a in the lab portion of 1 = theta, Planets Magnetic FieldTime Table Day_|Date | Topic Tab Notes ‘Mon _| Jan 25___| Cosmology - Creation Tnclinometer ‘Cosmology — Geocentrie vs. Heliocenteie Mon | Feb1 | Cosmology - Potlemy, Brahe, Copernicus | Inelinometer ‘Cosmology — AI-Tusi, Al-Shati, fbn AF Haythan Mon | Feb 8 | Cosmology Galileo, Newion, Gravity | Compass Tues | Feb 9 Moon Sighting 30ih day ‘Cosmology — Keppler's Laws Mon Febl5 | Cosmology — Einstein, Space-Time, Compass Exam Sun ~ Seasons, 2 Easis/Wess, Barth's Tit Mon | Feb 22 | Sun—Moverent, Position in Sky Star Wdentification Sun — Prayer, Times of Prayer, Shadows Mon | Feb 29 | Sun—Time, Nature of Time, Measuring | Star Tracking Sun—Light, Nature of Light, Spectrum, | Speed of Light, Exam Mon | Mar7 | Moon Orbit, Synodic / Sidreal Month | Sun Dial Construction ‘Wed | Mar 9 | Moon Phases of the Moon Moon Sighting 23th Day Mon | Mar 14 | NoClass- Spring Break Sun Dial Measuring Time, Prayer Times Mon | Mar 21 _| No Class Spring Break Lat. Tong, Measuring, Vernal | Prayer Times, Moon Sighting | Equinox Mon_| Mar 28 ‘Mon | Apr4 | Moon Moon Sighting Prediations Planet entiication Moon ~ Islamic Calendar, Exam Fi | Apr8 ‘Moon Sighting, Lick 30th Day Observatory Trip Mon _| Apri Planets — Gas Planets Planet Tracking Planets — Terrestrial Planets Stars— Time, Positions, Celestial Sphere | Moon Sighting 201k Day Stars ~ Star Names, Constellations Mon_| Apri8 Star Tracking Mon | Apr25 | Stars Lat. /Long., Location, Navigation | Star Tracking Stars ~ Distance, Size of Earth Mon | May 2 __| Stars ~ Qiblah by Great Circle Siar Tracking Stars — Qiblah by Loxodrome Sat_|May7 ‘Moon Sighting 20%h Day Mon_| May 9 __| Stars Compass, Magnetic FieldCourse Requirements Lecture: Class Attendance, Preparation, Participation (20%) Homework (20%) Quizzes (15%) Section Exams (15%) Final Exam (30%) Lab: Attendance, Including all field trips (30%) Device Builds (40%) Final Zij (Star Log) (30%) No laptops during lectures. Please take all notes by hand. Course Materials 1. Martin Rees, Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe. City: Basic books, 2001 Norman Davidson, Astronomy and the Imagination: A New Approach to Man’s Experience of the Stars. City: Penguin, 1988 3. Hamza Yusuf, Caesarean Moon Births: Calculations, Moon Sighting and the Prophetic Way. Zaytuna Institute: 2007 4, Additional articles and handouts will be provided.eee? - ee, . “Apeneng von biree kcwoale 1 5eehg of Beaty foals Tie eh ie ae) Gon nay at lie ear vk Pme 4 pinatl canted mode ob Pluck} ebeege! beter gtr = e016 soe on mericke aps m2 rae Bt mee pot fort et SS Eat 3 Mos 9 Joalen ASS aa Pleat +: Selo WY tnd C13. is oa tytn 44 ¥G> | ae “ tt wsasl cater = (w) bb i _ lenseth cok SH Waieleted Bitar — thes: a Hint.ee 2 IES RE REL ete TO big 9 PRO (2th aclelet Willows’ 2 mreazave natin, A Ly (922 he cbyres « ne) 27 in by wxlellatien." 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