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
Having, in the last Observation, premis’d some particulars observable in
the _medium_, through which we must look upon _Cœlestial_ Objects, I shall
here add one Observation of the Bodies themselves; and for a _specimen_ I
have made choice of the _Pleiades_, or seven Stars, commonly so called
(though in our time and Climate there appear no more then six to the naked
eye) and this I did the rather, because the deservedly famous _Galileo_,
having publisht a Picture of this _Asterisme_, was able, it seems, with his
Glass to discover no more then thirty six, whereas with a pretty good
twelve foot _Telescope_, by which I drew this 38 _Iconism_, I could very
plainly discover seventy eight, placed in the order they are ranged in the
Figure, and of as many differing Magnitudes as the _Asterisks_, wherewith
they are Marked, do specifie; there being no less then fourteen several
Magnitudes of those Stars, which are compris’d within the draught, the
biggest whereof is not accounted greater then one of the third Magnitude;
and indeed that account is much too big, if it be compared with other Stars
of the third Magnitude, especially by the help of a _Telescope_; for then
by it may be perceiv’d, that its splendor, to the naked eye, may be
somewhat augmented by the three little Stars immediately above it, which
are near adjoyning to it. The _Telescope_ also discovers a great variety,
even in the bigness of those, commonly reckon’d, of the first, second,
third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Magnitude; so that should they be
distinguish’d thereby, those six Magnitudes would, at least, afford no less
then thrice that number of Magnitudes, plainly enough distinguishable by
their Magnitude, and brightness; so that a good twelve foot Glass would
afford us no less then twenty five several Magnitudes. Nor are these all,
but a longer Glass does yet further, both more nicely distinguish the
Magnitudes of those already noted, and also discover several other of
smaller Magnitudes, not discernable by the twelve foot Glass: Thus have I
been able, with a good thirty six foot Glass, to discover many more Stars
in the _Pleiades_ then are here delineated, and those of three or four
distinct Magnitudes less then any of those spots of the fourteenth
Magnitude. And by the twinkling of divers other places of this _Asterisme_,
when the Sky was very clear, I am apt to think, that with longer Glasses,
or such as would bear a bigger _aperture_, there might be discovered
multitudes of other small Stars, yet inconspicuous. And indeed, for the
discovery of small Stars, the bigger the _aperture_ be, the better adapted
is the Glass; for though perhaps it does make the several specks more
radiant, and glaring, yet by that means, uniting more Rays very near to one
point, it does make many of those radiant points conspicuous, which, by
putting on a less _aperture_, may be found to vanish; and therefore, both
for the discovery of the fixt Star, and for finding the _Satellites_ of
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