Skip to content
AsteriaStar
Astronomer · 1201 CE – 1274 CE

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

History of AstronomyIslamic Golden Age Astronomy

Biography

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi built the great observatory at Maragha, one of the most advanced research institutions of its age. His 'Tusi couple', a way of producing linear motion from two circles, became an important tool of late medieval planetary theory and reappears in the work of Copernicus.

Scientific contributions

  • Founded and directed the Maragha observatory
  • Devised the 'Tusi couple' geometric device
  • Produced the Ilkhanic (Zij-i Ilkhani) astronomical tables

Related scientists

Knowledge connections

Sources & references

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica

    General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.