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Al-Battani

البَتَّاني

The greatest astronomer of the medieval Islamic world

Born: 858 CE, Harran
Died: 929 CE, Samarra
Era: Classical
Field: Astronomy, Mathematics
Origin: Harran, Turkey
Muhammad ibn Jabir al-Battani was a 9th-century Arab astronomer and mathematician who made highly accurate astronomical observations. He calculated the solar year at 365 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes and 24 seconds — just 2 minutes off the modern value.