ASTRONOMERS from Iran

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Iranian Astronomers of all time. This list of famous Iranian Astronomers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Ulugh Beg (1394 - 1449)

With an HPI of 75.01, Ulugh Beg is the most famous Iranian Astronomer.  His biography has been translated into 72 different languages on wikipedia.

Mīrzā Muhammad Tarāghāy bin Shāhrukh (Chagatay: میرزا محمد تراغای بن شاهرخ; Persian: میرزا محمد طارق بن شاهرخ), better known as Ulugh Beg (Persian: الغ‌بیک; Turkish: Uluğ Bey; 22 March 1394 – 27 October 1449), was a Timurid sultan, as well as an astronomer and mathematician. Ulugh Beg was notable for his work in astronomy-related mathematics, such as trigonometry and spherical geometry, as well as his general interests in the arts and intellectual activities. It is thought that he spoke five languages: Arabic, Persian, Chaghatai Turkic, Mongolian, and a small amount of Chinese. During his rule (first as a governor, then outright) the Timurid Empire achieved the cultural peak of the Timurid Renaissance through his attention and patronage. Samarkand was captured and given to Ulugh Beg by his father Shah Rukh. He built the great Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand between 1424 and 1429. It was considered by scholars to have been one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world at the time and the largest in Central Asia. Ulugh Beg was subsequently recognized as the most important observational astronomer from the 15th century by many scholars. He also built the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420) in Samarkand and Bukhara, transforming the cities into cultural centers of learning in Central Asia. However, Ulugh Beg's scientific expertise was not matched by his skills in governance. During his short reign, he failed to establish his power and authority. As a result, other rulers, including his family, took advantage of his lack of control, and he was subsequently overthrown and assassinated.

2. Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903 - 986)

With an HPI of 70.31, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi is the 2nd most famous Iranian Astronomer.  His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ṣūfī (Persian: عبدالرحمن الصوفی; 7 December 903 – 25 May 986) was a Persian Muslim astronomer. His work Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib ("The Book of Fixed Stars"), written in 964, included both textual descriptions and illustrations. The Persian polymath Al-Biruni wrote that al-Ṣūfī's work on the ecliptic was carried out in Shiraz. Al-Ṣūfī lived at the Buyid court in Isfahan.

3. Jamshīd al-Kāshī (1380 - 1429)

With an HPI of 66.07, Jamshīd al-Kāshī is the 3rd most famous Iranian Astronomer.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Ghiyāth al-Dīn Jamshīd Masʿūd al-Kāshī (or al-Kāshānī) (Persian: غیاث‌الدین جمشید کاشانی Ghiyās-ud-dīn Jamshīd Kāshānī) (c. 1380 Kashan, Iran – 22 June 1429 Samarkand, Transoxiana) was an astronomer and mathematician during the reign of Tamerlane. Much of al-Kāshī's work was not brought to Europe and still, even the extant work, remains unpublished in any form.

4. Abu Hanifa Dinawari (815 - 896)

With an HPI of 63.15, Abu Hanifa Dinawari is the 4th most famous Iranian Astronomer.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Abū Ḥanīfa Aḥmad ibn Dāwūd Dīnawarī (Arabic: ابوحنيفه دينوری; died 895) was an Islamic Golden Age polymath: astronomer, agriculturist, botanist, metallurgist, geographer, mathematician, and historian.

5. Alenush Terian (1921 - 2011)

With an HPI of 49.24, Alenush Terian is the 5th most famous Iranian Astronomer.  Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Ālenush Teriān (Armenian: Ալենուշ Տէրեան; Persian: آلنوش طریان; also: آلنوش تریان; November 9, 1921 – March 4, 2011) was an Iranian-Armenian astronomer and physicist and is called 'Mother of Modern Iranian Astronomy'.