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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Paper, 'Concerning the distance of the fixt stars' by Francis Robartes

Reference number: CLP/8i/49

Date: 08 November 1693

Description

Robartes writes on the distance of the fixed stars, stating that 'the ancient astronomers who had no other way of computing the distances of the heavenly bodys but by their paralax to the semidiameter of the Earth, and being never able to discover any of the fixt stars, did from thence rightly enough infer that their distance was verry great and much exceeding that of the planetts, but could goe no farther otherwise then by uncertain guess.'

Subject: Astronomy

Read to the Royal Society on 8 November 1693

Reference number
CLP/8i/49
Earliest possible date
08 November 1693
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
4 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Francis Robartes

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Citation

Francis Robartes, Paper, 'Concerning the distance of the fixt stars' by Francis Robartes, 08 November 1693, CLP/8i/49, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/clp_8i_49/paper-concerning-the-distance-of-the-fixt-stars-by-francis-robartes, accessed on 13 October 2024

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/clp_8i_49/paper-concerning-the-distance-of-the-fixt-stars-by-francis-robartes

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  • Classified Papers

    Dates: 1592-1741

    The 'Classified Papers' of the Royal Society are papers from British and international natural philosophers and scholars categorised according to subject areas.

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