Observatory of Ulugbek, Samarkand
The Observatory at Samarkand was constructed by Ulugbek in 1428-1429 on one of the hills at the bottom of Chupanata altitude.
The observatory has three storeys and is covered with glazed tiles. The building is round in form, 46 metres in diameter, 30 metres in height. In the main hall a huge instrument was placed for observations of Moon, Sun, and other stars.
The Observatory was a unique construction for its time. The basis for the observatory was a giant goniometre vertical circle, with a radius of 40 metres, and the length of arc was 63 metres. The main instrument was oriented with amazing exactness to the line of meridian from south to north.
The exactness of the observations by Samarkand astronomers is amazing because they were made without the help of optical instruments, by the naked eye.
Astronomic tables contain the coordinates of 1018 stars.
With amazing exactness made the calculation of the length of earth's year, which by Ulugbek’s calculation is equal to 365 days 6 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds. The actual length of the year by modern methods is 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 9,6 seconds. Thus the mistake is less than one minute.
After Ulugbek’s death the observatory was destroyed and robbed by religious fans. Only in 1908 the archaeologist Vyatkin found the first document where location of the observatory was mentioned. Unfortunately only the underground part of the sextant and the basis of the building were saved. Using the documents scientists made a model of the observatory.
Observatory of Ulugbek, Samarkand
The Observatory at Samarkand was constructed by Ulugbek in 1428-1429 on one of the hills at the bottom of Chupanata altitude.
The observatory has three storeys and is covered with glazed tiles. The building is round in form, 46 metres in diameter, 30 metres in height. In the main hall a huge instrument was placed for observations of Moon, Sun, and other stars.
The Observatory was a unique construction for its time. The basis for the observatory was a giant goniometre vertical circle, with a radius of 40 metres, and the length of arc was 63 metres. The main instrument was oriented with amazing exactness to the line of meridian from south to north.
The exactness of the observations by Samarkand astronomers is amazing because they were made without the help of optical instruments, by the naked eye.
Astronomic tables contain the coordinates of 1018 stars.
With amazing exactness made the calculation of the length of earth's year, which by Ulugbek’s calculation is equal to 365 days 6 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds. The actual length of the year by modern methods is 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 9,6 seconds. Thus the mistake is less than one minute.
After Ulugbek’s death the observatory was destroyed and robbed by religious fans. Only in 1908 the archaeologist Vyatkin found the first document where location of the observatory was mentioned. Unfortunately only the underground part of the sextant and the basis of the building were saved. Using the documents scientists made a model of the observatory.