BİRİNCİ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · DÖRDÜNCÜ FASIL · Beşinci Madde
Fifth Article
Concerning Jupiter’s apogee and perigee points, the ascending and descending nodes, its nature and characteristics, its distance – span – and the quantity of its mass.
O esteemed one! Know that astronomers have stated: The apogee point of Jupiter is twenty degrees ahead, without succession, from the midpoint between the two nodal points; that is, from the excessive inclination northward of its inclined sphere in relation to the zodiacal circle. In this position, Jupiter’s apogee point is seventy degrees behind the ascending node. The apogee points of the “wandering stars” other than Saturn and Jupiter are found ninety degrees north of the ascending node. For the apogee points and nodal points – as explained above – move in accordance with the fixed spheres.
It has been determined that the position of Jupiter’s apogee point on the zodiacal circle was at nineteen and a half degrees in the sign of Virgo during the year [Ghaseer] 495 of the Rum calendar. At that time, the perigee reached nineteen and a half degrees in the sign of Pisces. The ascending node arrived at nineteen and a half degrees in the sign of Cancer; the descending node reached nine and a half degrees in Capricorn and now [at the time the author composed the *Ma’rifetnama*] has reached the year 2069 of the Rum calendar, and the Hijri year is 1170. Thus, from the time of [Ghaseer] until the time the *Ma’rifetnama* was written, if we divide each period of seventy years by one degree, then all the aforementioned apogee and nodal points will have progressed approximately eight degrees. With such a calculation, the apogee and all nodal points of the star can be determined for each date.
Concerning Jupiter's nature: Nearly all astrologers unanimously state that its qualities are worthy of praise. The nature of Jupiter is one of balance; it is hot and humid. It possesses a masculine nature and is attributed to daytime. It has been called "the greater fortune" (sa’d-i akbar).
The characteristics of the star Jupiter are: striving in religion and knowledge, gentleness (hilm), feelings of shame and modesty (haya), generosity (seha), humility (tevazu), helpfulness, intellect, chastity, fluency of speech and eloquent expression (talakat and fasahat). If a child were to be conceived at the moment that Jupiter is rising, then, by the permission of the Exalted God, its beautiful nature and laudable qualities will permeate the child, making him virtuous and possessing good character; his fortune would be decreed as belonging to Jupiter. As the hadith states: "The fortunate one is he who is fortunate in his mother's womb," they are born with that very fortune, and each of them is naturally blessed by it.
Jupiter governs Monday and Thursday. The time spans of one hour after sunset on these two nights and after sunrise on these two days are attributed to Jupiter. Regarding the distances of Jupiter’s sphere of common conjunction and the quantity of their masses, space observers, astronomers, and mathematical experts unanimously state: The distance from the outer surface of Jupiter's sphere of common conjunction to the center of the world is approximately 22 thousand times one thousand and 992 thousand and 487 furlongs (22,992,487). Its distance from the aforementioned center on its convex surface is approximately 14 thousand times one thousand, 771 thousand and 944 furlongs (14,771,944). The thickness of this sphere of common conjunction is approximately 8 thousand times one thousand, 220 thousand and 543 furlongs (8,220,543). The mass of the star Jupiter in question has been calculated to be approximately half the mass of the Earth’s globe, and all these things have been proven with scientific evidence. The truth is only known by God.
[489]. Felek-i mümessil (concentricus): The sphere whose center is the central ecliptic (Earth).
[490]. Hareket-i küllî (motus universalis): The movement from east to west that produces day and night. The first two visible movements of the heavens are these. Of these movements, the first is the general movement, which creates day and night.
[491]. Felek-i hâricü’l-merkez: A sphere not centered on the central ecliptic (Earth).
[492]. Meks: Refers to the phase when the Moon is within the shadow circle during a total lunar eclipse.
[493]. The word "ihtirak," derived from the root "har," means burning and ignition. In astronomy, it refers to a planet approaching the sun.
[494]. Felek-i mâil: An inclined sphere; (Eng. oblique sphere, Lat. obliquus, deflectens): 1) The sphere on which a planet moves, tilted at a certain angle to the ecliptic; the planet’s orbit. 2) The second sphere of the Moon.
[495]. Ghaseer: Appears as () in the manuscript but is written as (ghaseer) in the printed version. Ghaseer means “abundance of plants” in spring in Arabic, and also means people mixing with each other in war.
[496]. Fersah: An ancient unit of length measurement approximately equal to 5 kilometers.
It describes Jupiter’s speed, its true direction (istikamat), its deceleration (butu’), its pause (ikamet), its reversal (ric'at); all these reasons cause it to appear “astonished” (hayret), its connections (irtibat) and proximities (ihtirak) with the sun.
Ghaseer: Appears as () in the manuscript but is written as (ghaseer) in the printed version. Ghaseer means “abundance of plants” in spring in Arabic, and also means people mixing with each other in war.
Fersah: An ancient unit of length measurement approximately equal to 5 kilometers.
Felek-i mâil: An inclined sphere; (Eng. oblique sphere, Lat. obliquus,
The sphere upon which the planet moves; the planetary sphere, inclined at a certain angle to the ecliptic. 2) The second sphere of the moon.
Regarding the shared non-center sphere (felek al-mumassil), its shape and movements are described by the figures and motions of Jupiter's outer-center sphere (felek al-kharij al-marakiz).
The inclined sphere of this star, with respect to the zodiacal belt, is tilted southward and northward by one and a half degrees; and the apogee and perigee of the epicycle are also tilted from this inclined sphere, sometimes toward the south and sometimes toward the north, with a difference of two and a half degrees in latitude. This causes Jupiter's course to appear faltering, hence its designation as "the perplexed."
Jupiter governs Monday and Thursday. One hour before sunset on Mondays and one hour after sunrise on Thursdays are attributed to Jupiter. Astronomers and celestial observers, mathematicians, have reached consensus regarding the distances of Jupiter and its shared non-center sphere (felek al-mumassil), stating that the outer surface of Jupiter's shared non-center sphere is approximately 22,992,487 farsakh from the center of the universe. Its inner concave surface is approximately 14,771,944 farsakh from the aforementioned center. The thickness of this shared non-center sphere is approximately 8,220,543 farsakh. The body of Jupiter itself has been calculated to be roughly half the size of Earth’s body, and all these have been proven with scientific evidence. Only God knows best.
Each sphere possesses its own movement, rotating on its axis and completing its orbit; thus, the inclined orbit of Jupiter causes the sphere of Mars, which moves with its own motion within the shared non-center sphere of Jupiter, to move westward, carrying the star along with it. In this manner, Jupiter remains in each sign for a year, completing its orbit around the Sun in twelve years. Because Jupiter is farther from Earth and has a wider orbit than the planets below it, its movement appears slower relative to them.
The point of Jupiter's solstice was determined to be 19.5 degrees within the sign of Virgo in the year [Ghaseer] of the Roman calendar. At that time, the winter solstice reached 19.5 degrees within the sign of Pisces, and the ascending node reached 19.5 degrees within the sign of Cancer; while the descending node arrived at 9.5 degrees within the sign of Capricorn. Now [at the time when the author is composing the Ma'rifetname], it is the year 2069 of the Roman calendar, and the year 1170 of the Hijri calendar. Thus, from the year [Ghaseer] to the time of writing the Ma'rifetname (dividing every seventy years by one degree), each of the aforementioned solstices and all nodes has progressed approximately eight degrees. With such calculations, the solstice and all nodes can be determined for any date.
It describes Jupiter’s shared non-center sphere (felek al-mumassil).