PLANETS

Arabic as-sayyārah ( السيارة‎ ). According to Arabic writers, there are seven planets, called an-Najūmu ʾs-Sayyārāt ( النجوم السيارات‎ ), or, collectively, as-Sayyārah , the wandering stars, as distinguished from fixed stars, or an-Najūmu ʾs̤-s̤awābit ( النجوم الثوابت‎ ). These planets are said to be situated in the seven firmaments in the following order: (1) Al-Qamar , Moon; (2) ʿUt̤ārid , Mercury; (3) Zuhrah , Venus; (4) ash-Shams , Sun; (5) al-Mirrīk͟h , Mars; (6) al-Mushtarī , Jupiter; (7) Zuḥal , Saturn. ( Vide Kashshāf-i-Iṣt̤ilaḥāt, in loco .) It will be seen that the Arabian arrangement of the planets is that of Ptolemy, who placed the earth in the centre of the universe, and nearest to it the moon, whose synodic revolution is the shortest of all, being performed in 29½ days. Next to the moon he placed Mercury, who returns to his conjunctions in 116 days. After Mercury followed Venus, whose periodic time is 584 days. Beyond Venus he placed the Sun, then Mars, next Jupiter, and lastly Saturn, beyond which are the fixed stars.