The Middle East is the birthplace of astronomy and the centre for its development during the medieval period. In this brief introduction John Steele offers an intriguing insight into Middle Eastern achievements in astronomy and their profound influence on the rest of the world. Amongst other things, the book traces the Late Babylonians' ingenious schemes for modelling planetary motion. It also reveals how medieval Islamic advances in the study of the heavens, and the design of precise astronomical instruments, led to breakthroughs by Renaissance practitioners such as Copernicus and Kepler. An invaluable introduction to one of the oldest sciences in the world.

John M. Steele is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Durham, where he researches and teaches the history of astronomy.

Contents: Illustrations 7 Glossary 9 Introduction 13 The Birth of Astronomy in the Middle East 19 Late Babylonian Astronomy 39 Astronomy in the Greek and Roman Middle East 67 Astronomy in Medieval Islamic Society 83 Astronomical Observationsand Instruments in the Medieval Islamic World 99 Medieval Planetary Theories 119 Legacies 135 Appendix 143 Bibliography 145 Author's Note 149 Index 151