Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi was a Persian astronomer born on Dec. 7 in 903 A.D., and Google chose to celebrate his immense achievements with a Doodle on the anniversary of his birth.
He would have been 1113-years-old today.
Sufi was born in Rey in modern-day Iran
Historically he is known as Azophi and Azophi Arabus in the west
He translated many Greek astronomical writings into Persian and Arabic
There were traditional Arabic and Greek names for stars and constellations. These often overlapped or contradicted one another in confusing ways. Much of his work was to unify the different systems.
Sufi made several significant astronomical discoveries
His observations included the Andromeda Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud.
He published the Book of Fixed Stars in 964 A.D.
The book, written originally in Arabic, describes Sufi's astronomical work using text and elaborate drawings.
Sufi died in 986 A.D. at the age of 83
