Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Antarctica |
Coordinates | 61°06′23″S 54°57′45.5″W / 61.10639°S 54.962639°W |
Archipelago | South Shetland Islands |
Area | 3.64 ha (9.0 acres) |
Length | 290 m (950 ft) |
Width | 230 m (750 ft) |
Administration | |
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty | |
Demographics | |
Population | uninhabited |
Saffar Island (Bulgarian: остров Сафар, romanized: ostrov Saffar, IPA: [ˈɔstrof sɐˈfar]) is the rocky island off the north coast of Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica extending 290 m in west–east direction and 230 m in south–north direction, with a surface area of 3.64 ha. It is separated from Elephant Island by a passage narrowing to 325 m at points.
The feature is named after Abū al-Qāsim Ahmad ibn as-Saffār (d. 1035), an Andalusī astronomer and author of one of the Arabic treatises on the astrolabe that introduced the triangulation method to Europe; in association with other names in the area deriving from the early development or use of geodetic instruments and methods.