Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries ThereuponHooke, Robert
History
Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon
Hooke, Robert
Magnifying glasses -- Early works to 1800; Microscopy -- Early works to 1800; Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
First, From the irregular surface of the Moon, and from several Parallaxes,
that unless the _Dichotomy_ happen in the _Nonagesimus_ of the _Ecliptick_,
and that in the Meridian, &c. all which happen so very seldom, that it is
almost impossible to make them otherwise then uncertainly. Besides, we are
not yet certain, but that there may be somewhat about the Moon _analogus_
to the Air about the Earth, which may cause a refraction of the light of
the Sun, and consequently make a great difference in the apparent
_dichotomy_ of the Moon. Their way indeed is very rational and ingenious;
and such as is much to be preferred before the way by the Horizontal
Parallax, could all the uncertainties be remov’d, and were the true
distance of the Moon known.
But because we find by the Experiments of _Vendiline_, _Reinoldus_, &c.
that Observations of this kind are very uncertain also: It were to be
wisht, that such kind of Observations, made at two very distant stations,
were promoted. And it is so much the more desirable, because, from what I
have now shewn of the nature of the Air, it is evident, that the refraction
may be very much greater then all the Astronomers hitherto have imagined
it: And consequently, that the distance of the Moon, and other Planets, may
be much lesse then what they have hitherto made it.
For first, this Inflection, I have here propounded, will allow the shadow
of the Earth to be much shorter then it can be made by the other
_Hypothesis_ of refraction, and consequently, the Moon will not suffer an
Eclipse, unless it comes very much nearer the Earth then the Astronomers
hitherto have supposed it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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