Nova near Cygnus and the ring of Saturn
Date
25 July 1670
Creator
Johannes Hevelius (1611 - 1687, German/Polish) , Astronomer
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p57a
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 211mm
width (page): 147mm
width (page): 147mm
Subject
Content object
Description
A figure indicating the position of a nova near the beak of Cygnus as observed by Johannes Hevelius in Gdansk on 25 July 1670, and a figure of the ring of Saturn observed on 26 August 1670. These figures were included in a letter from Hevelius to Oldenburg dated 27 August 1670, but removed from the original letter (EL/H2/22) and inserted here in the Royal Society's Letter Book, with a copy of the text of the letter. The reverse of this drawing is covered in charcoal, which was a common way to copy an image for printing.
Oldenburg read the letter to the meeting on 27 October 1670, and both figures were printed in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 5, no. 65 (November 1670).
This is copied in LBC/4/076a.
Oldenburg read the letter to the meeting on 27 October 1670, and both figures were printed in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 5, no. 65 (November 1670).
This is copied in LBC/4/076a.
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 27 October 1670, ‘Mr. Oldenburg read likewise two other letters, to himself, the one from Mr. Hevelius, dated 27 Aug. 1670, N.S., containing two observations of his concerning a new star near the rostrum cygni, and the present appearance of Saturn’ (Birch 2:449).
Printed in J. Hevelius, 'A new star in Cygnus observed 25 July 1670', Phil. Trans. vol. 5, no. 65 (November 1670), pp. 2087-91, which reproduces the images at tab. 1, figs. 1 & 2.
Printed in J. Hevelius, 'A new star in Cygnus observed 25 July 1670', Phil. Trans. vol. 5, no. 65 (November 1670), pp. 2087-91, which reproduces the images at tab. 1, figs. 1 & 2.
Related fellows
Johannes Hevelius (1611 - 1687, German/Polish) , Astronomer
Associated place