BİRİNCİ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · ÜÇÜNCÜ FASIL · Birinci Madde
**Article One**
Depicts the sphere of common apogee for the star Saturn (Zuhal).
O esteemed one! It is known that astronomers have said: Saturn (Zuhal), which is one of the stars considered a planet, is the seventh sphere when counted from the sphere of the Moon. It lies above the Sun’s sphere and is renowned as one of the three spheres (the three outer spheres) (eflâk-ı selâse) that are highest and greatest. Saturn (Zuhal)’s sphere is known by the epithet Geyvan, and astronomers have called it “The Great Misfortune (Nahs-i ekber)” and "One with a Peacock Face (Hind ü peyker)."
There are no other stars within this sphere, and its sole ruler is Saturn. Jupiter is “The Greatest Felicity (sa‘d-i ekber),” Mars due to its terrifying appearance (cellâd-ı manzara), and “The Lesser Misfortune (nahs-i asgar).” However, the one called "The Lesser Felicity (sa‘d-i asgar)" is Bânû, Azrâ, and Venus of radiant face.
The Harmonious Debîr-i Semâ (the scribe of the heavens) and beautiful-faced Utarit are called “two inner spheres” (süfliyeyn) because they settle beneath the Sun’s sphere. The "three outer spheres" (selâse-i ulviye) and "two inner spheres" (süfliyeyn) are collectively named – with another designation – “the five bewildered ones” (hamse-i mütehayyire). Similarly, the radiant sun is called “the greatest luminary” (neyyir-i a‘zam), and the beautiful-faced moon is called "the lesser luminary" (neyyir-i asgar), and these seven planets together have gained renown as “the seven planets” (seb’a-i seyyâre).
Astronomers have determined three spheres for the star Saturn (Zuhal), of which the first is the "universal sphere" (felek-i küllî), located at the center, on the axis, at the poles, in the belt, and in its movements, resembling the sphere of the signs. Therefore, it is called the sphere of common apogee.
The second is the sphere of the outer circumference (felek-i hârici’l-merkez), which lies beneath the sphere of common apogee on two parallel surfaces and carries the epicircle (merkez-i tedvîr), so it is called the "carrying sphere." The third is the sphere of revolution (felek-i tedvîr). Saturn (Zuhal) occupies one side of it, and as the sphere of revolution moves and turns upon its own center, it sets Saturn (Zuhal) in motion, causing them to turn together; hence, it is called the sphere of revolution.
The sphere of common apogee is the universal sphere (felek-i küllî), and it is a spherical body surrounded by two parallel surfaces. The fixed stars’ sphere (felek-i sevâbit) touches its upper surface (sath-ı a’lâ) to the concave surface (sath-ı muka‘‘ar), and the Jupiter's sphere touches the convex surface (sath-ı muhaddeb) beneath its lower surface (sath-ı ednâ). This sphere follows its own movement (hareket-i zâtiye), which is characteristic of the great spheres above and below it. With its initial movement, it is compelled (hareket-i kasriyye) to move around the center of the universe from east to west. Secondly, with its own movement (hareket-i zâtiye), it proceeds slowly from west to east as far as the movement of the eighth sphere. Surely, the spherical spheres located beneath this sphere are also characterized by a compulsory movement (bil-arz) towards the east and have been characterized by an actual movement towards the west. A more extensive explanation on this subject will be given in subsequent articles.