Ali ibn Ridwan
Abu'l Hassan Ali ibn Radwan Al-Misri (Arabic: أَبُو اَلْحَسَنْ عَلِي بْنْ رَضْوَانْ بْنْ عَلِي بْنْ جَعْفَرْ اَلْمِصْرِيِّ) (c. 988 - c. 1061) was an Arab of Egyptian origin who was a physician, astrologer and astronomer, born in Giza.
Ali Ibn Radwan | |
|---|---|
14th century painting of Ali Ibn Radwan (astronomical clock in St. Nicholas' Church (Stralsund) | |
| Born | 988 Giza, now Egypt |
| Died | 1061 (aged 73) Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate, now Iraq |
| Occupation | Physician, Astrologer, Astronomer |
| Nationality | Arab, Egyptian |
| Notable works | Commentator of Galen's Tetrabiblos, Commentator of Ancient Greek Medicine, De revolutionibus nativitatum, Tractatus de cometarum significationibus per xii signa zodiaci, On the Prevention of Bodily Ills in Egypt, Detailed of Supernova SN 1006 |
He was a commentator on ancient Greek medicine, and in particular on Galen; his commentary on Galen's Ars Parva was translated by Gerardo Cremonese. However, he is better known for providing the most detailed description of the supernova now known as SN 1006, the brightest stellar event in recorded history, which he observed in the year 1006. This was written in a commentary on Ptolemy's work Tetrabiblos.
He was later cited by European authors as Hali, Haly, or Haly Abenrudian. According to Alistair Cameron Crombie he also contributed to the theory of induction. He engaged in a celebrated polemic against another physician, Ibn Butlan of Baghdad.