  Saffar Island Location in the South Shetland Islands Show map of South Shetland Islands Saffar Island Location in Antarctica Show map of Antarctica | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 61°06′23″S54°57′45.5″W / 61.10639°S 54.962639°W /-61.10639; -54.962639 |
| Archipelago | South Shetland Islands |
| Area | 3.64 ha (9.0 acres) |
| Length | 290 m (950 ft) |
| Width | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Administered under theAntarctic Treaty | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | uninhabited |
Saffar Island (Bulgarian:остров Сафар,romanized: ostrov Saffar,IPA:[ˈɔstrofsɐˈfar]) is the rocky island off the north coast ofElephant Island in theSouth 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 afterAbū al-Qāsim Ahmad ibn as-Saffār (d. 1035), anAndalusī astronomer and author of one of theArabic 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 ofgeodetic instruments and methods.
Saffar Island is centred at61°06′23″S54°57′45.5″W / 61.10639°S 54.962639°W /-61.10639; -54.962639,[1] which is 22.36 km east-southeast ofCape Yelcho, 5.4 km west-southwest ofPoint Wild, 360 m north-northeast ofRonalds Point and 880 m east-northeast ofBiruni Island. British mapping of the area in 1822,1972 and 2009.
This article includes information from theAntarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria which is used with permission.
