little parallax. For suppose the Comet to haue had as much parallax as the Moone (in her perigaon) which is (in 10. degrees aboue the Horizon) 65. min. and in 53. deg. of altitude scarce 40. m. the difference is 25. n. and so much should the Comet by alteration of his parallax haue appeared neerer the starre at the second obseruation, then at the first, to which if you adde his proper motion in the mean space, it will be 55. m. and so the Comet should haue been but part } of the 2 stars distance from the vpper starre; whereas he was more than 3, which is a notorious difference, Found much and could not escape the sight; and therfore had not lesse than the Moones paral so great parallax as the Moone, and by necessary lax. consequence was aboue her, yea many times her distance from the earth, which I might easily confirme by the like obseruation, the night following, when the Comet had ouertaken the starre more then a degree; but especially by my obseruations the night preceding the 10. 11. and 12. daies, when the Comet was very neere vnto a little starre in the left arme of Arctophylar, at the first vnder him and after aboue, and also by his distance from another obscure star (which I found by the Telescopium 15 mi. aboue the Comet: this little starre I could finde in no globe nor mappe, but onely in the excellent Vranimetria of that diligent and industrious Beyerus. By diligent and curious noting the Comets distance from these starres, first Not aboue neere the Horizon, and afterwards towards the Zenith 6. m. in the same nights, I dare be bold to conclude that this Comet had not 6. minutes of parallax (for within these limites I may confine the incertaintie of my obseruations) and therefore more then 600. semidiameters of the earth distant from it. How strange so euer this may seeme, yet is it enforced from most certaine demonstration parallacticall. Which may moreouer be confirmed from the prospect and irradiation of this Comets forelocke. Which if the head had any notable parallax, must of necessitie haue twice so much, and so could not appeare in one line with the Comet, and the Sunne as I haue formerly demonstrated. But, least the Reader not acquainted with Mathematicall demonstrations, should think it a nouell position, yea παράδοξον παραδοξότατον, a strange vncouth and neuer heard of opinion to elevate Comets so far aboue Proued also from prospect forelocke. of the Comets History of new starres, and Comets far aboue the Moone. This Comet 600. semidi ameters of the earth from it. How many aboue the Elementary, yea lunary regions. I must relate vnto them that besides those famous new stars, the one in Cassiopea 1572. and the other in the foot of Ophiucus 1604. both which lasted more then a veere, and that in Cygnus continuing many yeeres; all three from all places of the earth appearing in one and the same position amongst the fixed stars, (an argument of their huge distance aboue the moone) besides these and that new starre noted by Hipparchus 2000. yeeres almost since, diuers excellent Mathematicians of this age, haue by certaine remonstrances shewed many Comets farther aboue the Mone, then I affirme this to be. Amongst, others, that second Hipparchus Tycho Brahe in the Comets 1577. 1580. 1582. 1585. 1590. could not with all his admirable, sumptuous, and excellent Vranical engines finde the least parallax, no not of one minute; and therefore iustly affirmed them far beyond the Moone: yea, which is most remarkable, and caused no small admiration, and delight in the Heroicke Lantgraue of Hessen, as it pleased him by letters to signifie to Ty cho. Rothmannus the Lantgraues Mathematician, obseruing the Comet in 1585. agreed with Tycho in the place thereof to a scruple, (at one and the same instant) and yet the one was remote from the other almost 300. English miles, the distance betwixt Cas sels and Vrani-burge, which punctuall agreement had been impossible if the Comet had not beene exceedingly remote beyond the moone. I must also remember that Albumasar 1000. yeares almost since obserued a Comet aboue the spheare of Mercury. Wherefore it is no such strange distance from the earth that I assigne to this our Comet, 600. semidiameters of the earth; which is but of the Suns distance. I might justly account this Comet higher, but I will keepe within the limits of my obseruations. And for your better satisfaction, reduce this disEnglish miles tance into english miles, allowing (by the statute of the earths se- 25. Elizabetha) 5280. foote to a mile; and 3834. of midiameter is. these miles to the earths Semidiameter, therein fol lowing the late ingenious and painefull measurations of Willebrordus Snellius. Wherefore the Comets distance from the earth was not lesse then 2300000. met was from english miles, whereas the Moone (when she is neerest) is little more then 200900. miles. How many miles the Co the earth. The locke extend. thicknesse. How much The irradiation also of this Comets streame, (though How many in the end it seemed very short) was sometime extend- miles the foreed to a wonderfull length, more then 2000000. miles, ed. which is nothing to the Sumnes ejaculation of his beames vpon the earth, more then 6900000. miles. From the Comets distance doth necessarily follow the vast globositie of his body, though to vs his diameter How many seemed but a few minutes, which being no lesse then miles the Co4. minutes will extend to 2668. miles, which is al- met was in most of the earths diameter, and therefore the Comets bulke was at least of the whole earth; and not fully twice greater then the Moone; but the Comet compared to the Sunne was scarce 1. to 8000. so little is this great Comet in respect of that glorious the globositie lampe; and yet the Sunne is but a point to the immense thereof was, spheare of fixed starres; and all this lesse then no- compared to the Earth, thing in comparison of that infinite Circle, Cuius cen- Moone, and trum est vbiquè, circumferentia nusquam, The center Sunne, of whose presence, and prescience is euery where, and his limits no where: That great Anuioúpyos, and Cre- The infiniteator, who hath measured the waters in the hollow of nesse of the his hand, meeted out heauen with a spanne, compre- Almightie. hended the dust of the earth in a measure, waighed the mountaines in scales, and the hills in a balance. O Lord when I consider the Heauens, the worke of thy fingers, the Moone, and the Starres, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindfull of him, and the sonne of man, that thou visitest him? This Comets huge distance from the earth, and vast magnitude will cause to vanish all these smoakie exha lations which by common opinion being by the cælestial light attracted from the earth into the higher regions of the aire, are there condensed, and by motion set on fire continually burning in the forme of a Comet, vntill all the materiall be spent. But this Comet was farre aboue the highest ascent of grosse and sulphurous exhalations, his quantitie more then could be caused by a great part of the earth turned into smoake, his motion too regular, and his durance too long for such wandring, and soone vanishing exhalations. Those Philosophers, who still walke in the way of the Gentiles, are afraide to induce generation, or any other The Comet was not compact of exha lations. other mutation into the heauens, rather choosing to follow their blinde guide (who denied the world to haue any beginning, or ending) then to beleeue the infallible truth of sacred Scripture. Others haue beene scrupulous to conceit any crea tion since that first Saboth. But whether this Comet and the like were caused by efficacie of nature (the ordinary power which God What was the hath put into all his creatures) compacting the liquid Comets mate- ætheriall substance, or whether by the immediate power of the worlds Architect (qui dixit, & facta sunt; mandauit, & creata sunt: Spake and they were made, commanded and they were created) a new matter was presently created. rials. I will not here curiously dispute: either of these waies doth acknowledge a celestiall matter, and diuine prouidence. It were vaine to refute those who haue imagined Comets, and new starres to be made of the Galaxia, or milkie way; for so before this day would all that milke haue beene turned into curds; neither is that not made of way any whit more condense then the rest of the hea uen, but onely an irradiation of innumerable starre close together, as the Telescopium doth ocularly de The Comet Galaxia. Not a co-apparition of planets. starre. monstrate. Neither shall I neede to reproue those ancient Philosophers, who (in dawning of Astronomic) thought Comets to be faois, a co-apparition of Planets seeming to touch one another; or (as our simple Nor morning vulgar still doe) some planet, especially Merc. or Ve nus, appearing after a long latitat vnder the Sun beames; or some fixed starre disguised know not how) with borrowed locks. Not much vnlike to some late writers, who suppose Comets to be starres from the beginning created, but hidden in the deepe abysse of heauen, and at certaine times descending lower, become visible to the earth. Not created from the beginning. A religious conclusion. But whatsoeuer was the materiall of this Comet, howsoeuer compact, and dissolued, I am enforced in conclusion of this Astronomicall part, to lie prostrate at the Almighties power in the globositie thereof, to admire his wisdome in the motion, and adore his goodnesse in the present apparition. (To be concluded in the Supplement.) |