Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.14774

    Occulation of Spica Virginis by the Moon

    Date
    14 March 1671
    Creator
    Johannes Hevelius (1611 - 1687, German/Polish) , Astronomer
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p299a
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (page): 161mm
    width (page): 148mm
    Subject
    Content object
    space
       > Solar system
          > Moon
    space
       > star
    Description
    Etching of the surface of the Moon with ink annotations, on paper, of the path of Spica Virginis.

    The inscription above reads, in translation (Hall and Hall, vol. 8, p. 6), 'Occultation of Spica Virginis, observed at Danzig by Johannes Hevelius on 22 April 1671 [N.S], in the evening.'

    This is the original figure which accompanied the letter, now in EL/H2/25. The letter was read to the Royal Society on 11 May 1671.
    Object history
    At the meeting of the Royal Society on 11 May 1671, ‘Mr. Oldenburg read a letter to him from Mr. Hevelius, dated at Dantzick, May 1, 1671, N.S., giving an account 1. Of the occultation of two stars in cauda arietis, 2. Of the occultation of spica virginis; both by the moon, the former 14 March 1670/71, the latter 22 April 1671, N.S. according to the pre-advertisements of Mr. Flamsteed sent to him. 3. Of the second appearance of the new star, first discovered the last year, circa rostrum cygni. 4. A description of an odd fiery meteor lately seen at Dantzick’ (Birch 2:481).
    Related fellows
    Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
    Johannes Hevelius (1611 - 1687, German/Polish) , Astronomer
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > Poland
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