Add 39787 c
Mr Isaac Newton
Former Aquentance maketh me moore bould To trouble you with this In wchwhich I have sent
you Inclosed a Table of Observations of A Comet that appeared To us in Maryland Aug 14th: 1682:
Till SeptSeptember 12th: 82: whilest it weare a Morning Comet having Octcations from whome made but Litle
Observations thereof & therefore have Sett them downe at Randame on the bottom of the Table
Onelye in Right Ascension and declination But from August 22 to SeptSeptember 12: for Every Night Except SeptSeptember
yethe 1: 6: 8: & 9 sometimes being from home & sometimes Cloudey after the 12th day of SeptSeptember we had for a weeke or
better very Cloudey Evenings Till I suppose that It had got So neare the Sunn that no moore Observati'Observations
with us could be made yet I thought once after being yethe 14th of SeptSeptember; ytthat I had seene it betwene Two Clouds
neare uppon setting in yethe West. If So it Seemed to me Somewhat Retrograde but I had but a small glimpes
theareof & therefore could make no Observations thereof But I suppose ytthat Observations might be maid
Long after in Most placeis wheare the wether was cleare: I suppose I was one of the first ytthat Tooke notice
thereoff in Maryland Being August yethe 14th a morning Comet in yethe NorEast about Northwards of yethe North heade of ♊Gemini Castor But seemed To mee to come to yethe Meridian wthwith yethe South head of ♊Gemini Pollux, or somewttsomewhat after. It had than no Streame Cord or Taile at all that could be deserned Eather by the Eye or Elce by a prospective Glass as I could deserne neather would I trust my owne Eye in the cais but called upp others wchwhich I thought might be stronger sited To have there Judgement of it for I was Suer ytthat no Such star did belong to ytthat place nor To any Other ytthat I was aquented with but they could not deserne any SteameStreame & would have perswaided me ytthat it weare a commmon Ordinary Star but being so neare day & unprovided ytthat I could make then but Litle Observations thereof onley I doe suppose ytthat the declination then was Betwene : & : North & Right AscenAscension about degrees But whether afterwards it did Increase in declination Norwards as it seemed to me the 17th about to be in neare ☌conjunction with a Litle Star of the 3 or 4th Magnitude being To yethe Southwards of the 2 small BrBear Stars in yethe Right forefoot of yethe GttGreat Beare as I take it wchwhich Small star cometh partley to yethe Meridian Betwene both of them they Being degdegreedeg As under declindeclination or yethe Ri. AscRight Ascension about declination of which Smll:Small ✱Star about North, yethe. ☌conjunction as neare as I could make it onely by yethe Eye weare about morning yethe comet bingbeing about or min Southwards under it So by ytthat Rule yethe Comets declination weare then about this was the nearest ☌conjunction of any that I Observed & I give you Notice thereof because I suppose ytthat yethe Comet may have greater paralax than ether ♀Venus or ☿Mercury It being than so swift in Motion as I suppose about & sometimes neare degrees in 24 hours. To finde wchwhich small fixtd star. ImmaigineImagine a Right Line from the GttGreat Bears Back To yethe Litle dog ✱Star & it will pass by it or Nearly cut it The following image spans several lines in the letter and it integrates with the surrounding text, for example at the point where he mentions the "Two Small stars". Or a Right line from yethe Pole star To Betwene yethe Two SmllSmall Stars in GttGreat bears forefoot & So Southwards about from yethe Pole ✱Star you than cannot well miss it. on the Backside yethe Table is a Table of yethe Pole ✱Star Stars declination To Every 5th degree of the Equinoct E or Right Ascensions Something Lightly Rune over & Allso the difference of declination of fixtd stars for 100: years for Every 5th degree of there Right Ascension the Table I finde of excelent use To finde ye declination of stars by yethe Bow or fore staff or to finde out any unknowne star whose Right AscAscension & declintdeclination is given by yethe helpe of yethe Pole ✱Star & others severall wayes. I could wish ytthat you would furnish me with a Table of Right AscAscension & declination of fixed stars for yethe yeare 1700: & as many as you please So ytthat they Exceed Not yethe 3 or 4th Magnitude or Rather than faile there LongtLongitude and Lat'tLatitude or Boath will do well for I finde by Severall Tables ytthat I have by me they differ in Right Ascension very much So ytthat If I should Take ytthat panes To worke by the doctrine of plane & or Sphericall Triangles by distances from Other Stars by yethe fore staff or yethe like without I knew ther True places I should make worse worke perhaps than I have done here in this Table though I had far Larger Instruments For by yethe Calculation of this Comet I had my Quadrant but Inch Radius being of my owne makeing with such stuff as I could Gett being wood wchwhich is heare far more apt to warpe & shrink then in England. therfore I would desire you to looke over my Table & Examine it with yours & give me If you please an Accompt of the difference for this day Receveing a Letter from Brother Edward Storer that it was first seene with you Aug: 7 That it was first seene with you Aug: 7th: 82 wchwhich was 7 dayes before wee Tooke notice of it heare but he mentioned not what time it Ended with you who Righteth thus: The Same Comet (as is Supposed) wchwhich appeared decembrdecember & January 1680: Appeared about yethe 7 day of Aug this yeare 82 in yethe Evening but not with So Long a Streame as it appeared before with but was not to be seene with them about 3 weekes after; & thats very strainge that there cann be such a supposed supposition as though a fier thats once burnt out & consumed yethe wood or stuff ytthat feed it cann be Reneued againe By that feuell ytthat it hath consumed It is a pretty conceipt If it be true; this Comet Cast the streame Severall wayes heare first it was upright & held so for severall dayes than it bended somthing bowing towards Towards the pole ✱Star than bowing more & moore so ytthat it pointed more & more towards the pole after wards pointed partly upright & than againe Contrary pointed to yethe westwards towards the South pole &c I sent unckle Babing a Letter daited about March 28: 1683 with my ObservatiosObservations more at Large by Altitudes & Azimuths in wchwhich I mentioned Gadburies 20 years Ephemeridies & a Good Large fore staff about 4 5 or 6 foot Long If it could so ytthat it bow nor bend not by the wight of the vanes wchwhich might be very usefull to me & Likwise in it did desire you If ytthat you could Conveniently furnish me with a Table of Right AscAscension & declination of some of yethe Principall fixed Stars &c I sent him a Letter daited about May 22 1682 which as far as I can understand by Mothers & Brothers was not come to hand SeptSeptember 26: 82: wchwhich Least his should faile againe makes me the more bould to Trouble you with this Heare hath bene of Lait years besides this yeare many Notable ☌sconjunctions & oppositions both of Sun moon planets & fixed Stars wchwhich by Reason of our great difference of Longitude To you wchwhich I judge may be about degreees or better wchwhich If well observed might be a great helpe to Astronime: Heare hapened A Lunar Eclipes: 1681: yethe beginning Aug yethe midle yethe Ende yethe Continuance parts Eclipse & or there Abouts. So If you please you may give me an accompt of our Longitude from London or Cambridg: JanuJanuary 17: Sun Eclipsed in maryland yethe beginning about : yethe End about : yethe Sun Eclipsed from To of altitude yethe parts Eclipsed about 5 digets on yethe undermost parte of the Suns bodey but I supose with you it was far greater. Heare hath beene of Late 2 great ☌conjunction of ♄Saturn & ♃Jupiter & yethe third now very neare wchwhich I suppose will be before the Midle of may: yethe first ☌conjunction as neare as I could well make it by reason of cloudey wether was with us ♄Saturn OctobOctober: 14: About noon ♄Saturn Elivated Above ♃Jupiter 12 minminutes semeing by yethe Ey To be twice his bredth from ♃Jupiter but by prospective Glass above 4 times: yethe Second ☌conjunction of ♄Saturn & ♃Jupiter weare as neare as I could well make it the wether being Likewise cloudey for a day or Two before & affter ♄Saturn Jan 27 about midnight ♄Saturn above ♃Jupiter about 10 minminutes there hath beene severall notable Lunar Eclipses heare of Late yethe ☾Moon & Aldebaran yethe Last yeare the ☾Moon hid Aldebron severale times one I see wchwhich I suppose Centarall: here hath bene Notable ☌conjunction of Cor Leonis & ☾Moon & Likewise of ♂Moon & ♌Leo But I shall not trouble you with heare haveing no more at prresent but my dutye To unckle Babington & my Best Respects To all my frends with you I Rest at your Command To serve you Arthur Storer
From Patuxant River in Maryland: at Mr John Hunts's Neare Collr Joules at Indian Creeke Aprill 26: 1683: I have Likewise sent one dated with yours To Brother Storer & 4: dated Mar 28: 83: vizd One To Mother Brother John Joseph & unckle Babington &c wchwhich If this come to hand if you have ytthat Opertunity you may aquent them &c
For Mr Isaac Newton Math: of Trinitie Coledge In Cambridg Leave this at yethe Post house in London to be sent as before saide 2
8 c
The use of this Table is To finde Any Stars Distance from yethe NNorth ✱Star: or Pole Star, The Right Ascension & declination Given: Or there declinatdeclination There distance in degrsdegrees & minminutes being Given By the Bow or Forestaff &c. Example yethe Buls Eye Aldebaran AnoAnno 1700: Ri: AscRight Ascension I looke nearest in yethe Table & finde Against yethe Ri: AscRight Ascension of : Againe yethe Goat hircus Ri AscRight Ascension : declinatdeclination by proportion Betweene & I finde from wchwhich I SubstrSubstract yethe declination Rest from yethe Pole Star. Againe By the Bow or forestaff I Take Arcturus distance from the Pole Star & finde it to be . Then suppose Arcturus Right AscentAscention To be : I Looke in the Table Against & finde : but if I allow for yethe : Haveing once found the declination To finde the declination for any Time past or To Come. Example then suppose Arcturus declination Be Anor 1700: the Right Ascension I Looke as befrbefore against & finde wchwhich is Arcturus difference of declintdeclination for 100 years. Then for yethe yeare l800: If I substract from Arcturus declination wchwhich is as before Rest for the declination of Arcturus Anor l800: Noat that If the declination be north from ♑Capricorn To ♋Cancer Add the Difference But from ♋Cancer To ♑Capricorn: Substract yethe difference vizd from of Right AscAscension To : Add yethe difference Then from : of Ri AscRight Ascension to Substract yethe difference, The declination Being North but If the declination Be South the Contrarye. Then from : To :: I Substract yethe difference Then from To : I add &c. This way of Rectifying The fixt Stars declination seemes somewhat plausable & stands To some Reason wchwhich is declared in the Seamans Calender pper Henry Phillipps Anor 1660: But As for there difference of Right Ascensions by yethe said Phillipps Tables The way of Rectifying Seemes very unequall In a very Confuesed disordered Condition:.. Example yethe Goat hircus yethe Difference of Right Ascension for 100 years is – And Orion Right foot But: :.. Againe the Hinder Guard Sub : yethe Right AscAscension 100: yeares is but & yethe Br ✱Star in serpents neck is – there Right AscAscension being partlye the same & Boath having North declinatdeclination But by what Rule there course is. isis so Ordered I am Altogether Ignorant, without former Observations hath proved it so: If so than Longitude & Latitude I suppose Cannot be Exact Enough: To Shew there True places for Time To Come If they Martch spiward as Wing Relates in 100 years:.. Or By Gunter in LongLongitude & in Lat'Latitude Litle or nothing: wchwhich If you please a
word or two Conserning of wchwhich. &c.