The Timbuktu Scholar Who Calculated the Moon's Orbit

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the astronomical legacy of Timbuktu, focusing on the 17th-century scholar Muhammad al-Wangari and his encyclopedia Mir’at al-‘Alam (The Mirror of the World). Al-Wangari synthesized the works of Islamic and classical astronomers like al-Zarqali and al-Battani, calculating the lunar cycle and planetary positions with remarkable accuracy—centuries before modern telescopes. The episode examines how Timbuktu’s scholars integrated mathematics, observation, and theology, and how manuscripts like al-Wangari’s survived in the city’s libraries. It also touches on the scholarly network connecting Timbuktu to Cairo, Fez, and beyond, and the tools they used: astrolabes, quadrants, and ephemeris tables. The conversation ends with a reflection on how this knowledge was preserved through centuries of political upheaval. #Timbuktu #MuhammadAlWangari #MiralAlAlam #IslamicAstronomy #alZarqali #alBattani #Sankore #Astrolabe #LunarCycle #SahelHistory #WestAfrica #MaliEmpire #Songhai #HistoryOfScience #Manuscripts #FexingoHistory #AfricanScholars #17thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo