BİRİNCİ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · YEDİNCİ FASIL · Beşinci Madde
**Article Five**
Concerning the places of Venus (Zuhra) at its apogee and perigee, the ascending and descending nodes, its nature and characteristics, its distance, and the measure of its circumference.
Know then, O esteemed one, that astronomers have stated: The place of Venus’s apogee is situated midway between the two nodal points; that is to say, its inclined orbit has deviated considerably from the plane of the signs so as to be ninety degrees behind the ascending node. For – as explained above – the places of apogee, perigee, ascending node, and descending node move with the motion of the sphere of common culmination which coincides with the movement of the zodiacal path.
The place of Venus’s apogee on the zodiacal path was determined in the year [Ghasir] of the Rumi calendar to be at twenty-seven degrees of Gemini, like the apogee of the bright sun; at perigee, twenty-seven degrees of Sagittarius; at the ascending node, twenty-seven degrees of Pisces; and at the descending node, also twenty-seven degrees of Virgo. Currently, the Rumi year is 2069, and the Hijri year is 1170. Consequently, the aforementioned two points, like the others, have advanced approximately eight degrees from where they were previously located.
Regarding the nature and characteristics of the bright Venus star, astrologers are in agreement and state: The nature of Venus is moderately cold and humid, considered to be of a feminine nature and attributed to the night, and it has been named "the lesser fortunate" (sa'd-i asgar). It has been proven through experience that gazing upon this star brings joy to the heart. The qualities of Venus are softness, love, tenderness, nearness, refreshment, desire, charm, and poetic expression, well-being, and a beautiful constitution. These characteristics have been observed to manifest exactly in places influenced by this star.
Venus is known as the ruler of Tuesday night and Friday day, and the first hours of that night and day are attributed to Venus. Regarding the distances of Venus’s sphere of common culmination, its thickness, and its circumference, observers, geometers, and mathematicians are in agreement and state: The distance from the center of the universe to the outer surface of Venus's sphere of common culmination is calculated to be approximately one million eight hundred fifty thousand one hundred fifty-four (1,850,154) furlongs. Its distance to the outer surface is calculated to be approximately two hundred seventy-six thousand six hundred fifty-two (276,652) furlongs. Its thickness is calculated to be approximately one million five hundred seventy-three thousand five hundred two (1,573,502) furlongs. And its circumference has been proven through various evidence to be roughly one-sixteenth the circumference of the Earth. The truth lies only with God, exalted be He.
"God, the Exalted, the Artificer, possessing wisdom and power, is far removed from all imperfection."
[503]. *Kurs-i şems*, Solar disk: The bright circle which is the solar projection in the sky. See also *Muhtasar Kozmografya*, p. 12, for more on *kurs-i şems*.
Like other planets, it does not stray far from the solar disk (*kurs-i şems*; solar disk) but comes close twice in each revolution. Once during its return journey’s half [49/b], that is to say at the average apoapsis of its epicycle, proximity and illumination occur. And once in the very middle of its return journey, when it coincides with the perigee of the epicycle's orbit, a constant state of closeness and conjunction with the Sun occurs. The time elapsed between these two proximities is approximately nine months and twenty days. The truth lies only with God, exalted be He.
[503]. *Kurs-i şems*, Solar disk: The bright circle which is the solar projection in the sky. See also *Muhtasar Kozmografya*, p. 12, for more on *kurs-i şems*.