Comet observation (1680-81)
Date
7 January 1681
Creator
Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703, British) , Natural philosopher
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p13
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 181mm
width (page): 187mm
width (page): 187mm
Description
Robert Hooke's observation of a comet on 7 January 1681.
Cl.P/24/88 contains observations of comets by Robert Hooke between 1680 and 1683. These must be the papers found inserted into Hooke’s copy of the star chart Uranometria (Augsburg: Christoph Mang, 1603) by Johannes Bayer (1572-1625), which was purchased by the naturalist John Woodward FRS (1665-1728) at an auction of Hooke’s library after his death. Hooke’s copy of Uranometria is likely now the copy in the British Library (Maps C.10.a.17). Hooke used Bayer's symbols for stars in his observations.
Hooke read a paper about the nature of comets based on some of these observations at the meeting of Royal Society on 25 October 1682, though it is unlikely that Hooke read out the entire discourse, which runs to 40 pages as printed in his Posthumous Works (1705), pp. 150-90: ‘A discourse of the nature of comets’.
The image on this page does not seem to have anything to do with the text.
Cl.P/24/88 contains observations of comets by Robert Hooke between 1680 and 1683. These must be the papers found inserted into Hooke’s copy of the star chart Uranometria (Augsburg: Christoph Mang, 1603) by Johannes Bayer (1572-1625), which was purchased by the naturalist John Woodward FRS (1665-1728) at an auction of Hooke’s library after his death. Hooke’s copy of Uranometria is likely now the copy in the British Library (Maps C.10.a.17). Hooke used Bayer's symbols for stars in his observations.
Hooke read a paper about the nature of comets based on some of these observations at the meeting of Royal Society on 25 October 1682, though it is unlikely that Hooke read out the entire discourse, which runs to 40 pages as printed in his Posthumous Works (1705), pp. 150-90: ‘A discourse of the nature of comets’.
The image on this page does not seem to have anything to do with the text.
Transcription
Jan. 7. At about 11 a clock this night I saw the comet as on the other side I could not see the tayle well for cloudes it tended towards Perseus but seemd not to Reach it. It was grown very faint and seemd to be much wasted. It was strange that there seemd little halo from the head soe that the parabola of the Blaze toucht the nucleus. It seemd manifestly to haue brighter Dartings out of light [then - deleted] at some times then at others and I am assured from neer twenty times obseruing it through the glasse that this was noe opticall fallacy. Possibly the air suddenly cleering and as suddenly growing hazy might cause somewhat of this appearance. but it seemd to be a reall though as it were an Instantaneous change and I againe this night took notice that it seemd to streame from the nucleus with a brighter pith of light which againe praesently disappeard. twas not in the Eye nor Glasse for I changed them each into various postures and still found the same.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 25 October 1682, ‘Mr. Hooke read a discourse concerning comets, and in this first part of it gave an account of several of his own observations concerning the appearances of the comets in 1680 and 1681; in which he mentioned several new and wonderful appearances of them, taking notice of the other remarks concerning them, as of their place, position, magnitude, motion, way or course, only in short, and by the bye, referring his observations in those particulars to the other parts of the discourse’ (Birch 4:162).
This observation is printed in R. Hooke, Posthumous Works, ed. by Richard Waller (London: S. Smith and B. Walford, 1705), pp. 150-90: ‘A discourse of the nature of comets' (p. 156).
This observation is printed in R. Hooke, Posthumous Works, ed. by Richard Waller (London: S. Smith and B. Walford, 1705), pp. 150-90: ‘A discourse of the nature of comets' (p. 156).
Associated place