Astronomer Biography Bibliography

"Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi." Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 2: 700 to 1449. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 316. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

"Al-Ṣūfī, Abu’I-Ḥusayn ‘Abd Al-Raḥmān Ibn ‘Umar Al-Rāzī." Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol. 13. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. 149-150. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

Islam, Arshad. "Muslim Contributions to Science." The Contribution of Muslims to Science during the Middle Abbasid Period (750-945) | Islam | Revelation and Science. Revelation and Science, 2014. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

APOD 1.5

This image shows a large cluster of stars within the Andromeda galaxy, which is our closest galactic neighbor. The cluster, named NGC 206, is near the top-center of the image. The fact that the stars in the cluster are bright and blue shows that they are primarily very young, hot starts. This formation is much larger than any stellar cluster of similar form in the Milky Way. Stellar nurseries such as this can provide valuable insights into the workings of stellar formation and the universe.

APOD 1.4

This is an image of the Dumbbell Nebula, which was created when a red giant star ran out of hydrogen to fuse and underwent supernova, leaving behind a large cloud of gas and a white dwarf star. It is the 27th object on Messier's list of non-star, non-comet objects in the sky, and is located in the constellation Vulpecula, or the Fox. This is very similar to what will most likely become of our solar system when out sun goes supernova.

APOD 1.3

This image shows our current best map of the relative position of our galaxy in the newly identified Laniakea Supercluster, identified by a blue dot. This is one of the largest identified structures in the universe and contains thousands of galaxies. The orange line is the approximate boundary of the cluster. "Laniakea" means "immense heaven" in Hawaiian and this formation spans approximately 500 million light-years.

APOD 1.2

This photograph shows the space shuttle Endeavour docked at the International Space Station. This highlights the relative size of the space station and the solar panels, allowing us to see how large the station truly is. Usually, photos of the space station are taken from the shuttle and vice versa. This photo was captured from a Russian supply ship departing the station which allowed the passengers a rare opportunity to see the shuttle and space station together.

APOD 1.1

This image shows the spiral galaxy Arp 188, nicknamed the Tadpole Galaxy. It is believed that a smaller galaxy encountered Arp 188 and drew along with it many of Arp 188's stars as it flew by, forming a long trail behind the "head" of the tadpole. Scientists think that the stars in the tail will form smaller satellites to the larger center of mass of Arp 188 in the future.