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Johannes Hevelius
Henry Oldenburg
Concerning Hevelius's recent book about Mercury and Venus in the sun; wishing to encourage correspondence with the Society
07 January 1663 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/2
1664
Praises the Royal Society; states that he will send his 'Cometographia' when it is published; states that a catalogue of fixed stars must be realised before any further work can take place; states that he is working on his 'Machina Coelestis' but that he needs the observations of King Ulug-Beg, which are found in a Persian manuscript in Oxford
04 January 1664 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/1
Thanks for being elected to the Fellowship; observations of the solar eclipse (tables attached); observations of the orbit of Mercury; concerning the manufacture of polemoscopes with four lenses according to his principles Read to the Royal Society on 21 September 1664
10 September 1664 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/2
Sends the catalogue of fixed stars and his diploma to the Society; stating that the Persian manuscript, Ulug-Beg, is being translated into Latin, and that the Society could insert Hevelius's book on astronomy into it
29 April 1664 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/9
Concerning previous letters about the translation of the Persian manuscript, Ulug-Beg, and that he sends the catalogue and diploma to him
27 May 1664 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/10
Concerning previous letters about the translation of the Persian manuscript, Ulug-Beg, and that the catalogue and diploma is being sent to him Highly-edited letter
27 May 1664 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/11
Draft paragraph concerning telescopes which is repeated in EL/O1/13
Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/11a
Informing Hevelius that he has been elected to the Fellowship; encouraging his work on cataloguing fixed stars; praises his 'Cometographia' which is in the press; concerning the predictions of mercury and the sun by Thomas Street and that the Society has commissioned observers in America to witness it; detailing Street's predictions of the transit of Mercury and asking Hevelius to check his work 'Mercurius in sole visus' about this
11 May 1664 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/12
Repeating previous letters because Hevelius did not receive them eg the translation of 'Ulug-beg' into Latin, election to the Fellowship; concerning developments in telescopes (draft is EL/O1/11a); observations of Jupiter and Saturn; observations of the solar eclipse; that no observations of the transit of Mercury were made in England but hopes that the English in America had seen it; mentioning queries by Thomas Street about Mercury's orbit; sends observations of the lunar eclipse by Thomas Street in August 1663
01 November 1664 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/13
1665
Discussing his method of observing the transit of Mercury; states that he has finished nine books and that he will write about his observations of the comet Original dated 1 June 1665
01 January 1665 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/3
By Henry Oldenburg Discussing his method of observing the transit of Mercury
01 January 1665 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/4
Discussing his method of observing the transit of Mercury; states that he has finished nine books and that he will write about his observations of the comet
01 June 1665 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/5
States that he will publish his observations of the recent comets but wants observations of its motion and appearance as seen in England; wants to see the 'History' of the Royal Society and recent work by Hooke and Boyle
12 September 1665 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/7
Sending four more copies of his 'Prodromus Cometicus'
29 September 1665 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/8
Wonders why Hevelius has not been in touch, and speculating that he might have been ill; recounts previous letters eg about the translation of 'Ulug-Beg' and inserting his catalogue of stars; concerning improvements in telescopes
03 August 1665 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/16
States that he will send on communications about comets; that Auzout and Cassini are in close agreement about the comet; that a Dutchman was surprised by Hevelius's speculations on the first comet; that there has not been any advances in telescopes; concerning publication of Boyle's recent work
24 November 1665 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/19
1666
Concerning the controversy between Auzout and himself about the motion of the first comet
16 January 1666 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/9
States that he will be sending four copies of his work 'Descriptio Cometae...' for certain Fellows
28 June 1666 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/10
Concerning his controversy with Auzout about observations of the comet; concerning Cassini's discovery of a permanent spot on Jupiter made with Campini's telescope; concerning Burattini's telescope; concerning the Royal Society's 'Natural History' idea Read to the Royal Society on 11 July 1666
03 July 1666 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/11
Answering enquiries about 'natural history'; enquiries about a 60-foot telescope so that he can finish his catalogue of fixed stars; sends Remoquietanus's observations of the transit of Mercury across the sun (EL/H2/6); observations of the eclipse of the sun and an eclipse of the moon (tables attached)
29 October 1666 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/12
Concerning the delivery of books
18 December 1666 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/13
Concerning the dispute between Hevelius and Auzout about the movement of the comet; concerning Cassini's observations of Jupiter; concerning de Son's work on hyperbolic lenses; concerning Burattini, Master of the Mint to the King of Poland, and his work on a 120-foot long telescope; that 'History' of the Society is now in press and Boyle's 'Hydrostatical paradoxes' has been published in English; sends a list of enquiries (see EL/O1/23)
30 March 1666 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/22
Concerning reception of his astronomical observations; lists the books which are being sent to him; sends observations of the solar eclipse and awaits Hevelius's observations of the same; transcribes Thomas Street's observations of the transit of Mercury for his consideration
24 August 1666 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/33
Concerning the controversy between Hevelius and Auzout about the observations of the comet; that the matter was being deliberated by a number of astronomers of the Royal Society; that he looked forward to Hevelius's 'Cometographia' and 'Machina Coelestis'
30 March 1666 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/38
Thanks Hevelius for sending his astronomical observations; details of Hooke's telescope, lenses and the method of grinding lenses; cost of lenses; details of how the telescope is set up
27 February 1666 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/41
1667
Asks for a 60-foot, or longer, telescope and a full description of 'telescopic sights' fitted to sextants for measuring stellar distances Read to the Royal Society on 14 November 1667
21 October 1667 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/14
1668
Concerning the delivery of books with a list; concerning the catalogue for fixed stars and instruments to measure stellar distances Read to the Royal Society on 25 June 1668
13 June 1668 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/15
Concerns delivery of his books 'Cometographia' and 'Historia coelestis'
29 September 1668 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/16
Observations of the lunar eclipse on 18 November at Danzig, Poland (table attached; figure of lunar eclipse can be found at LBO/2/326). Read to the Royal Society on 10 December 1668
20 November 1668 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/17
Still believes that stellar distances cannot be determined using a small instrument even if it has 'telescopic sights'; proposes a challenge to Robert Hooke in relation to this problem; concerning the telescope which the Royal Society sent him; concerning the lenses of Titus Livius Burattini (1617-1683); concerning a certain friend's invention of a clockwork equatorial sundial Read to the Royal Society on 17 December 1668 Postscript to letter has observations of the solar eclipse on 4 November at Danzig with table (figure for solar eclipse found at LBO/2/336) On reverse is the account of the clockwork equatorial sundial with figure in margin Read to the Royal Society on 7 January 1669
01 January 1668 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/18
Concerns instruments to measure stellar distances; answering Robert Hooke's questions about comets; concerning distribution of Hevelius's work 'Cometographia' Read to the Royal Society on 14 January 1669
01 January 1668 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/19
Transcribes Robert Hooke's piece about telescopic sights (figure in text with method of adjusting the quadrant); that French philosophers are working on optics, laws of motion, discovering the exact measure of time, and anatomy; that the Italian philosophers have published their experiments through the Florentine academicians; concerning a new building for the Society
11 May 1668 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/66
Concerning Hooke's letter about Hevelius's telescopic sights; concerns distribution of Hevelius's work 'Cometographia'; informing about Cassini's observations of the motion of Venus and about the rotation of the Medicean stars on their axes; that Auzout is going to Italy and will report about work being carried out there
30 July 1668 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/76
That Hevelius's 'Cometographia' has been presented to the Society; concerning Robert Hooke's views about telescopic sights; lists enquiries from Hooke in regard to his 'Cometographia'; that lenses have been commissioned for Hevelius's 60-foot telescope; concerning the solar eclipse; in postscript Oldenburg points about various errata in one copy of 'Cometographia'
28 October 1668 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/84
Thanks for parcels of books and that 'Cometographia' had been presented to the Society; that his observations of the recent lunar eclipse had been read to the Society; disappointment that his dissertation on Saturn was not sent; that Cassini had published his ephemerides of Jupiter's satellites; concerning the published work of Robert Boyle
11 December 1668 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/92
1669
Concerns sending copies of his printed works; wishes a microscope in the 'Hookian manner' to be made for him, which could have convex lenses inserted so that it might be used as a telescope
21 March 1669 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/20
Explains why the making of the lens for the telescope was delayed; details about the selling of his books with prices and the amounts spent on items which Hevelius required; that he would not be sending the telescopic tube because it was too expensive with discussion about the making of these tubes; that Hooke has not finished the telescopic sights; postscript about objective lenses
02 August 1669 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/8
1670
Concerns the microscope and the lenses for the 50-foot telescope; observations of the declination of the magnet; concerning a piece of amber from the Baltic Read to the Royal Society on 21 July 1670
05 July 1670 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/21
Observations of new stars found in the constellation Cygnus (tables attached); observations of Saturn made with the 50-foot telescope; concerning the lenses for very long telescope sent by Burattini Read to the Royal Society on 27 October 1670
27 August 1670 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/22
Observations of the lunar eclipse (tables attached); concerning the transit of the moon across Venus (table has been numbered with EL/H2/24); observation of a new star under the head of the star constellation Cygnus; observations of amber; concerning payment for lenses; introduces a Swede, Samuel Skutt, to the Royal Society Read to the Royal Society on 17 November 1670 LBO/4/102 for figure showing lunar eclipse Partially printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 5, no 66, p 2023
31 October 1670 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/23
Concerns the discovery of the new star in the constellation Cygnus and discussing Parisian astronomers' views about this; that a Londoner has a theory about the variation of the compass; concerning Wallis's tract of the laws of motion
08 September 1670 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/32
Concerning the new star in the constellation of Cygnus and observations of the lunar eclipse; transcribes an extract of a letter from Geminiano Montanari concerning his astronomical observations; concerning Huygens' observations of Saturn; wishes for a sample of amber to be sent to the Society
21 November 1670 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/34
1671
Table for the transit of the moon across Venus (observations in EL/H2/23); asking for Christopher Cock's microscopes for Lord Marshal and High General of the Armies of Poland (John Sobieski); promising an account of a 140-foot telescope
04 March 1671 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/24
Sends a table for the occultation of two stars in the tail of Aries observed on 14 March 1671 and a table for the occultation of Spica Virginis by the moon observed on 22 April 1671 (original figures found at LBO/4/295 and LBO/4/299) Observations of the new star below the head of the constellation Cygnus Read to the Royal Society on 11 May 1671 Transcription printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 73, p 2197
01 May 1671 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/25
Observations of the occultation of Saturn by the moon on 1 June 1671 Read to the Royal Society on 2 November 1671
19 June 1671 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/26
States that M Picard has gone to Uraniburg to determine differences between the meridians at Paris and Uraniburg; that bad weather prevents astronomical observations but that he was able to witness the first satellite in Jupiter's shadow and sends his account (see EL/H2/28) Read to the Royal Society on 2 November 1671
01 January 1671 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/27
Observations of: - the eclipse of the moon - occultation of the first satellite in the shadow of Jupiter - the transit of Jupiter by the moon (table attached) - appearance of Saturn with figure Read to the Royal Society on 2 November 1671
01 January 1671 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/28
Concerning delivery of microscope and parcel of books; discussing the observations of the shape of Saturn made by Huygens and by Cassini; transcribes an extract from Robert Hooke's letter about observations of the lunar eclipse; apologies for the tardiness in sending the instrument to measure small distances
09 November 1671 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/58
1672
Observations of the comet on 2 March (with pencil figure) and about the new star under the head of the constellation Cygnus, which was seen again Read to the Royal Society on 21 March 1672
09 March 1672 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/29
States that a more detailed account of the comet is being sent; wishes to know about the new way of making telescopes in England; that he has obtained the lenses for his 140-foot telescope; that he has not seen the report about the phases of Saturn from the Parisian astronomers; asks that John Flamsteed continue with his predictions of the appulses of the moon to planets and fixed stars because he believes that these provide a more accurate method to observe differences in longitude Read to the Royal Society on 19 June 1672
10 June 1672 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/30
Queries the views of the Parisian astronomers about Saturn; sends his figure of Saturn as seen through a 55-foot telescope; concerning the progress of his work 'Machina coelestis'; asks again for the micrometer to be sent which can be inserted into the telescope tube Read to the Royal Society on 6 November 1672
29 October 1672 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/32
That Oldenburg has received reports of a recent comet from Reicheltius of Strasbourg; concerning Cassini's observations and Huygens' predictions about the rings of Saturn; concerning Montanari's observations of the lunar eclipse; thanks for his work 'Epistola de cometa'
05 July 1672 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/89
1673
Sending copies of his 'Machina coelestis' and asks for comments upon it; asks for recent editions of 'Philosophical Transactions' and any other information of interest Read to the Royal Society on 30 October 1673
23 August 1673 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/33
Enquiry about the delivery of books; concerning the release of ships which the Scots had taken; that Flamsteed had written to Cassini about the new observations of Jupiter's satellites by a new method; concerns the printing of figures for his works 'Selenographia' and 'Cometographia'
07 August 1673 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/122
That he has received the first part of 'Machina coelestis' by Hevelius; Sherburne would like to use figures from Hevelius's work to illustrate his own work identifying which ones; that Cassini had observed again the two satellites around Saturn with a telescope of 21 Parisian feet
05 September 1673 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/129
1674
Observations of a mock sun (parhelion) at Marienburg (Malbork) in Poland Read at the Royal Society on 23 April 1674 Translation printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 9, no 102, p 26
07 April 1674 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/34
Concerning the transit of Mercury across the sun
09 May 1674 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/35
Concerning manuscripts of Kepler which Hevelius had purchased; concerning the use of telescopic sights for making positional astronomical observations; concerning a new work by Matthias Wasmuth (1625-88)
26 March 1674 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/36
Wishes Christopher Cock to make another microscope for him and discusses the previous one made in 1671; wants to complete the catalogue of fixed stars and asks the Royal Society to commission a person to observe stars around the Antarctic; observations of the lunar eclipse, which was mostly obscured by cloud
18 August 1674 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/37
That Hevelius's 'Description of astronomical instruments' had been presented to the Society; concerning delivery of parcels
09 January 1674 Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/139
Concerns the discovery of the new star in the constellation Cygnus and discussing Parisian astronomers' views about this. Figure of Cynus attached.
Sender: Henry Oldenburg , Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/140
1675
Sends the observations of the lunar eclipse in January 1675 with a copper-engraved figure (see EL/H2/39); wishes for the observations of this eclipse made by the Parisian astronomers to be sent to him Read to the Royal Society on 8 April 1675
01 January 1675 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/38
Discussing Robert Hooke's objections to his 'Machina coelestis'; concerning other astronomical observations
31 August 1675 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/40
1676
Covering letter for an account of his observations of the solar eclipse enclosed for John Flamsteed (see EL/H2/42) and wishes further correspondence from him
01 January 1676 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/43
States that he has written to Flamsteed about various points (not specified) and about his observations of the solar eclipse; hopes that Flamsteed will pass this onto the Royal Society (see EL/H2/44)
26 June 1676 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/45
Acknowledging receipt of Flamsteed's letter and accounts of other astronomers; encloses observations of the occultation of Mars made on 1 September (see EL/H2/47)
15 September 1676 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/46
1677
Concerning the appearance of the star in the neck of the whale ('mira Ceti') and attaches his ephemerides for the star in the whale's neck and for the one at the head of Cygnus between 28 November 1665 to 1 January 1677 Read to the Royal Society on 25 January 1677 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 12, no 134, p 853
02 January 1677 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/48
Observations of a new comet in April/May 1677 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 12, no 135, p 869
01 January 1677 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/50
Further observations of the comet during April and May 1677 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 12, no 135, p 871
13 May 1677 Sender: Johannes Hevelius , Johannes Hevelius Reference number: EL/H2/51