The Star-charts: Arabic Constellations - Star Names

Used by the Arabs in the Indian Ocean

(313 words)

Arabic Constellations

Star Names Used by the Arabs in the Indian Ocean

The first of these shows the orthodox Arabic names of the constellations and their
Classical equivalents: for particulars refer to P. Kunitzsch, Arabische Sternnamen in
Europa(Wiesbaden, 1959). The twenty-eight anwāʾ or stations along the Ecliptic,
through which moved the moon, the planets, and the sun on its annual cycle, are
numbered in red, and the particular stars, or star-pairs or clusters, which acted as
their markers are pointed out by red arrows. As the sun passed through each nawʾ,
the star or constellation involved was thought to influence climatic and other events
for a certain number of days. There are many versions of this time-scheme, though
they differ only in details: the one which is listed here is taken from the calendar
diagram in the sea-atlas of al-Sharfī which is re-drawn and translated on the right-
hand back-end-paper of this book. Al-Sharfī’s diagram shows the date of the dawn
setting of each constellation, exactly six months from the rising.

The second chart (map 3) shows the traditional names of stars and constellations
used by Arab sailors in the Indian Ocean. The twenty-eight anwāʾ or stations along
the Ecliptic are underlined. The insets in the middle below show how the simple
‘string and board’ sextant (kamāl) was used to measure the altitudes; or equal
altitudes, of stars, with a view to determining the ship’s latitude. The risings and
settings of particular stars on the horizon were used to ascertain direction, and the
points of the Arabic mariner’s compass were named after these stars; the
corresponding Mediterranean instrument by contrast named its points after the local
winds. See G. R. Tibbetts, Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean before the Entry of
the Portuguese (London, 1971).

Hugh Kennedy

Cite this page

Kennedy, Hugh, “The Star-charts: Arabic Constellations - Star Names Used by the Arabs in the Indian Ocean”,
in: Historical Atlas of Islam, Edited by: Hugh Kennedy. Consulted online on 20 June 2017
<http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_hai_HAI_2_3>
First published online: 2012
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004122352, 20011210