Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Letter, from Johannes Hevelius to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Danzig (Gdansk)

Reference number: EL/H2/18

Date: 01 January 1668

Description

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

Reference number
EL/H2/18
Earliest possible date
01 January 1668
Page extent
8 pages
Format
Manuscript
Also available on Early Modern Letters Online
View Also available on Early Modern Letters Online (external link, opens in new tab)

Creator names

Johannes Hevelius

View page for Johannes Hevelius

Johannes Hevelius

View page for Johannes Hevelius

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

Johannes Hevelius, Johannes Hevelius, Letter, from Johannes Hevelius to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Danzig (Gdansk), 01 January 1668, EL/H2/18, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/el_h2_18/letter-from-johannes-hevelius-to-henry-oldenburg-dated-at-danzig-gdansk, accessed on 09 November 2025

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/el_h2_18/letter-from-johannes-hevelius-to-henry-oldenburg-dated-at-danzig-gdansk

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/el_h2_18/letter-from-johannes-hevelius-to-henry-oldenburg-dated-at-danzig-gdansk" title="Letter, from Johannes Hevelius to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Danzig (Gdansk)" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Map

Explore the collection

  • Early Letters

    The archival collection known as 'Early Letters' is composed of original manuscript letters sent to, or collected by, the Royal Society from English and foreign correspondents.

    Dates: 1613 - 1740

    View collection