Star trails over the Al-Biruni Observatory

What it is

This is a long-exposure night photograph taken on 7 September 2023 by Sepehr moeini and shared on Wikimedia Commons. It shows concentric star trails arcing across a dark blue-purple sky above a tan, angular concrete observatory with a white dome, lit windows and shrubs in the foreground. The Commons title is in Persian. The photograph is a recent view, not a historic one.

Why it matters

The observatory is named after Al-Biruni (973–1048), an 11th-century scholar and polymath from Khwarazm. The photograph does not show his own time or work. It shows how his name is honoured today, through a modern building that carries it. Looking at memorials like this helps students see the difference between a historical figure and the way later societies remember them.

Look closer

• What does the long exposure show about the sky, and why would a photographer choose this method?
• How does the modern concrete design compare with what you imagine a scholar's workplace looked like in the 1000s?
• What does this photograph leave out about Al-Biruni's own life and work?