Galileo, Copernicus, and Ptolemy. These are the figures I grew up learning about when we looked at the greats before us who had discovered something beyond the stars.
The astonishing story of Ulugh Beg was one that I personally never grew up knowing. Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) was a leader, and an obscure medieval astronomer who transformed Samarkand, now Uzbekistan into the center of science. The grandson of Tamerlane and ruler of the Timurid empire from 1411-1449, he was one of the world’s renowned astronomical minds.
On Thursday, June 21st, guests watched the new documentary, The Man who Unlocked the Universe at the London West Hollywood Hotel, a film based on his discoveries. Starring Armand Assante, his story is told through interviews with former astronauts and a series of battle scenes. His discoveries all occurred approximately one hundred and fifty years before Galileo had even invented the telescope.
Ulugh Beg was able to build the largest astronomical instruments on earth and used his observatory to accurately map the stars. He measured the duration of a year to a model within 25 seconds of the actual result. He was also able to calculate the Earth’s axial tilt correctly, at 23.52 degrees. His mapping of the stars is how we are now able to make precise calculations today. The 38-minute documentary directed by Bakhodir Yuldashev depicts Ulugh Beg’s star charts, as well as his sin-and-co-sin tables which are still accurate. He was committed to doing everything he could to actively support science before his death came. His story is unheard of by many. However, many of the familiar names we do recognize used his ideas. It is because of Ulugh Beg that we have the knowledge that we have today. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin said about the film, “This production was such an eye-opener for me. I had no idea the foundation that came before the names that we recognize”.
The film is available for rent or purchase on Amazon now!