Abraham Zacuto (1452–ca. 1515) was a rabbinic scholar, historian, and astronomer who lived mainly in Spain and Portugal, surviving the expulsions of Jews in both places. His works include a seminal book on Jewish history and an astronomical textbook that was translated from Hebrew into various European languages and used by Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and others. Henry Abramson describes Zacuto’s life. (Video, about four minutes.)
Read more on Torah Musings: http://www.torahmusings.com/2015/08/avraham-zacuto-jewish-astronomer-to-columbus/