Comet with a lenticular head
Date
28 October 1668
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 203mm
width (page): 169mm
width (page): 169mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Johannes Hevelius's Cometographia (1668) was presented to the Royal Society at its meeting on 22 October 1668, and several fellows, including Robert Hooke, were asked to examine it. Cometographia included illustrations of different types of heads of comet, and Hooke wondered whether Hevelius had seen any that had a lenticular head, as shown in a drawing here. This is probably one of the drafts which was translated into Latin and included in Oldenburg's letter to Hevelius dated 28 October 1668.
There are copies of this figure at LBO/2/300, LBO/30/365 and LBC/2/343.
There are copies of this figure at LBO/2/300, LBO/30/365 and LBC/2/343.
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 22 October 1668, ‘There was presented from Mr. Hevelius his Cometographia, wherein he taking particular notice of the society in his address to the reader, and submitting the whole book to their judgement and censure, it was desired by the president, that those persons, to whom the author had particularly presented copies of his book, as he had done one of the whole body, would peruse it, and bring in their thoughts upon it. Those persons were named to be the bishop of Salisbury, Dr. Wallis, Mr. Hooke, and Mr. Oldenburg: and it was ordered, that the thanks of the society should be returned to Mr. Hevelius’ (Birch 2:313). Oldenburg's letter is dated 28 October.
Related fellows
Johannes Hevelius (1611 - 1687, German/Polish) , Astronomer
Associated place