Astronomical observations at the Maragha observatory in the 1260s--1270s (Q1789091)

This paper reviews in detail the observations made by Muḥyī al-Dīn al-Maghribī at the Maragha observatory between 1262 and 1274 AD. It shows the precision of the observations in the late Islamic period and the accuracy reached by the instruments constructed at the observatory. It represents an important contribution to the literature because no detailed analysis of these observations have been carried out yet. After presenting in Section 2 a concise overview of the astronomical activities at the Maragha observatory, in Section 3, the author focuses on Muḥyī al-Dīn al-Maghribī's career. In Section 4, his observations are classified into three categories accompanied with a translation. In Section 5, the author devotes his analysis to the precision of observational data with regard to the instruments used. In Section 6, the author explores the method used for deriving the equatorial and ecliptic coordinates of a celestial object from its meridian altitude and the time of its culmination and the correlation between these three sets of data. Finally, in Section 7, the author compares the accuracy of these observational data with that of other astronomical observations made in the medieval Middle East.