The Borghesi Astronomical Clock in the Museum of History and Technology: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Paper 35Bedini, Silvio A.
History
The Borghesi Astronomical Clock in the Museum of History and Technology: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Paper 35
Bedini, Silvio A.
Astronomical clocks
Now, beginning from this hypothetical situation of the whole
world as from the root of the motions, I move all things in
their circles so that the earth turns on its axis with a
revolving motion from west to east in each 24 hours of median
time. The lunar heaven completes one circle around its poles
likewise from west to east in the time of 29 terrestrial
revolutions, hours 12.44.3.13.1. The sphere of the fixed stars
on the same poles revolves once from east to west within 365
revolutions of the earth, hours 6.9.29.1. The Primum Mobile on
the poles (common to the heaven of the fixed stars and the
heaven of the moon), is moved once in the same way from east to
west, a little faster, however, than the heaven of the fixed
stars, yet within 365 revolutions of the earth, hours 5.48.56;
that is, within a median astronomical year.
Now, behold for yourself a new world supported on new poles and
provided with new motions and laws. Now you, reader and lover
of the stars, turn it, and revolve it as long as it pleases
you, and compare it astronomically and physically with the
Copernican or the Tychonian systems or with whatever one
pleases you more, and judge which one seems more consonant with
nature when all things are examined. But if you aren't able to
reconcile this theory with some astronomical observations or
physical experiments and think it should be eliminated from
the group of theories, see that I might know this while life is
still my companion, so that I might think with you, if this is
possible. Also, so that, in gratitude for the detected or
perhaps hidden error, I might speak or write, and you won't
have to shout in vain in bold ridicule and with no applause
after the fleeing shades of the dead and the mute ashes. But,
if you object that the daily motion of the revolving earth and
the annual motion of its whirling axis do not sufficiently
agree with certain texts of Sacred Scripture, and if those
things which the Copernicans and the Longomontanists say do not
convince you, then reject my whole system as an old wives'
tale.
* * * * *
GLOSSARY
ANOMOLIA or anomaly, is the angular distance of a planet from its
perihelion (that point of the orbit of a planet which is nearest to the
sun) as seen from the sun.
AEQUINOCTIUM or the equinox, is the time in which days and nights are
equal in the space of hours. There are two equinoxes: the spring
equinox--c. 8 calends of April in the sign of Aries; and the fall
equinox--c. 10 calends of October in the sign of Libra.
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