Letter from Arthur Storer to Isaac Newton, dated 26 April 1683
Mr Isaac Newton
Former Aquentance maketh me moore bould To trouble you with this In wch I have sent you Inclosed a Table of Observations of A Comet that appeared To us in Maryland Aug 14th: 1682: Till Sept 12th: 82: whilest it weare a Morning Comet having {Oct|c|ations} 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 Sept 12: for Every Night Except Sept ye 1: 6: 8: & 9 sometimes being from home & sometimes Cloudey after the 12th day of Sept we had for a weeke or better very Cloudey Evenings Till I suppose that It had got So neare the Sunn that no moore Observa\ti'/ with us could be made yet I thought once after being ye 14th of Sept; yt I had seene it betwene Two Clouds neare uppon setting in ye 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 yt Observations might be maid Long after in Most placeis wheare the wether was cleare: I suppose I was one of the first yt Tooke not\ice/ thereoff in Maryland Being August ye 14th a morning Comet in ye NorEast about Northwards of ye North heade of ♊ Castor But seemed To mee to come to ye Meridian wth ye South head of ♊ Pollux, or somew{tt} 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 wch I thought might be stronger sited To have there Judgement of it for I was Suer yt no Such star did belong to yt place nor To any Other yt I was aquen\ted/ with but they could not deserne any Steame {sic} & would have perswaided me yt it weare a comon Ordinary Star but being so neare day & unprovided yt I could make then but Litle Observations thereof onley I doe suppose yt the declination then was Betwene : & : North & Right Ascen about 112 degrees But whether afterwards it did Increase in declination Norwards as it seemed to me the 17th about to be in neare ☌ with a Litle Star of the 3 or 4th Magnitude being To ye Southwards of the 2 small Br Stars in ye Right \fore/foot of ye Gtt Beare as I take it wch Small star cometh partley to ye Meridian Betwene both of them \they Being 1 degdeg As under declin or / ye Ri. Asc about declination of which {Smll:} \✱/ about North{,} ye. {sic} ☌ as neare as I could make it onely by ye Eye weare about morning ye comet bing {sic} about or min {sic} Southwards under it So by yt Rule ye Comets declination weare then about this was the nearest ☌ of any that I Observed & I give you Notice thereof because I suppose yt ye Comet may have greater paralax than ether ♀ or ☿ It being than so swift in Motion as I suppose about & sometimes neare 8 degrees in 24 hours{.} To finde wch small fixtd star. {sic} Immaigine {sic} a Right Line from the Gtt Bears Back To ye Litle dog ✱ & it will pass by it or Nearly cut it [Editorial Note 1] Or a Right line from ye Pole star To \Betwene/ ye Two Smll Stars in Gtt bears \fore/foot & So Southwards about from ye Pole ✱ you than cannot well miss \it/{.} on the Backside ye Table is a Table of ye Pole ✱ {sic} Stars declination To Every 5th degree of the Equinoct \{E}/ or Right Ascensio\ns/ 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 ex\c/elent use To finde ye declination of stars by ye Bow or fore staff or to finde out any unknowne star whose Right Asc & declint is given by ye helpe of ye Pole ✱ & others severall wayes. I could wish yt you would furnish me with a Table of Right Asc & declination of fixed stars for ye yeare 1700: & as many as you please So yt they Exceed Not ye 3 or 4th Magnitude or Rather than faile there Longt and Lat't or Boath will do well for I finde by Severall Tables yt I have by me they differ in Right Ascension very much So yt If I should Take yt pane\s/ To worke by the doctrine of plane & \or/ Sphericall Triangles by distances from Other Stars by ye fore staff or ye like without I knew ther True places I should make worse worke perhaps than I have done here in this Table thoug\h/ I had far Larger Instruments For by ye Calculation of this Comet I had my Quadrant but 12 Inch Radius being of my owne makeing with such stuff as I could Gett being wood wch 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: 7th: 82 wch 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 {illeg}|is| Supposed) wch appeared decembr & January 1680: Appeared about ye 7 day of Aug this yeare 82 in ye 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 ye wood or stuff yt feed it cann be Reneued againe By that feuell yt it hath consumed It is a pretty conceipt {illeg} 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 {sic} the pole ✱ than bowing more & moore so yt it pointed more & more towards the pole after wards pointed partly upright & than againe Contrary pointed to ye westwards towards the South pole &c{} I sent unckle Babing a Letter daited about March 28: 1683 with my Observatios more at Large by Altitudes & Azimuth\s/ in wch I mentioned Gadburies 20 years Ephemeridies & a Good Large fore staff about 4 5 or 6 foot Long If it could so yt it bow nor bend not by the wight of the vanes wch might be very usefull to me & Likwise in it did desire you If yt you could Conveniently furnish me with a Table of Right Asc & declination of some of ye 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 Sept 26: 82: wch 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 ☌s & oppositions both of Sun moon planets & fixed Stars wch by Reason of our great difference of Longitude To you wch I judge may be about 74 degres or better wch If well observed might be a great helpe to Astronime: Heare hapened A Lunar Eclipes: 1681: ye beginning Aug ye midle ye Ende ye Continuance parts Eclipse & or there Abouts{.} So If you please you may give me an accompt of our Longitude from London or Cambridg: Janu 17: Sun Eclipsed in maryland ye beginning about : ye End about : ye Sun Eclipsed from To of altitude ye parts Eclipsed about 5 digets on ye undermost parte of the Sun\s/ bodey but I supose with you it was far greater{.} Heare hath beene of Late 2 great ☌ of ♄ & ♃ & ye third now very neare wch I suppose will be before the Midle of may: ye first ☌ as neare as I could well make it by reason of cloudey wether was with us ♄ Octob: 14: About noon ♄ Elivated Above ♃ 12 min semeing by ye Ey To be twice his bredth from ♃ but by prospective Glass above 4 times: ye Second ☌ of {illeg} ♄ & ♃ weare as neare as I could well make it the wether being Likewise cloudey for a day or Two before & affter ♄ Jan 27 about midnight ♄ above ♃ about 10 min there hath beene severall notable Lunar Eclipses he\a/re of Late ye ☾ & Aldebaran ye Last yeare the ☾ hid Aldebron severale times one I see wch I suppose Centarall: here hath bene Notable ☌ of Cor Leonis & ☾ & Likewise of ♂ & ♌ {} But I shall not trouble you with heare haveing no more at prsent 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 Neare Coll{r} 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 wch If this come to hand if you have yt Opertunity you may aquent them &c
For Mr Isaac Newton Math:
of Trinitie Coledge In Cambridg
Leave this at ye Post house in
London to be sent as
before saide
{2}
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The use of this Table is To finde Any Stars Distance from ye N ✱: or Pole Star, The Right Ascension & declination Given: Or there declinat There distance in degrs & min being Given By the Bow or Forestaff &c{.} Example ye Buls Eye Aldeb\a/ran Ano 1700: Ri: Asc I looke nearest in ye Table & finde Against ye Ri: Asc of : Againe ye Goat hircus Ri Asc : declinat by proportion Betweene 70 & 75 I finde from wch I Substr ye declination Rest from ye Pole Star{.} Againe By the Bow or forestaff I Take Arcturus distance from the Pole Star & finde it to be . Then suppose Arcturu\s/ Right Ascent To be : I Looke in the Table Against & finde : but if I allow for ye : Haveing once found the declination To finde the declination for any Time past or To Come{.} Example then suppose Arcturus declination Be Ano{r} 1700: the Right Ascension I Looke as bef{illeg}\{r}/ against & finde wch is Arcturus difference of declint for 100 years. Then for ye yeare l800: If I substract from Arcturus declination wch is as before /30\ Rest for the declination of Arcturus Ano{r} l800:
Noat that If the declination be north from ♑ To ♋ Add the Difference But from ♋ To ♑: Substract ye difference vizd from of Right Asc To : Add ye difference Then from : of Ri Asc to Substract ye difference{,} The declination Being North but If the declination Be South the Contrarye{.} Then from : To :: I Substract ye difference Then from To :270 I add &c{.} This way of Rectifying The fixt Stars declination seemes somewhat plausable & stands To some Reason wch is declared in the Seamans Calender p Henry Phillipps Ano{r} 1660: But As for there difference of Right Ascensions by ye said Phillipps Tables The way of Rectifying Seemes very unequall In a very Confuesed disordered Condition:. {sic} Example ye Goat hircus ye Difference of Right Ascension for 100 years is – And Orion Right foot But: :. {sic} Againe the Hinder Guard Sub {{illeg}}: ye Righ\t/ Asc 100: yeares is but & ye Br ✱ in serpents neck is – there Right Asc being partlye the same & Boath having North declinat But by what Rule there course is. is {sic} 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 Mar\t/ch {spiward} as Wing Relates in 100 years:. {sic} Or By Gunter in Long & in Lat' Litle or nothing: wch If you please a
word or two Conserning of wch. &c{.}
[Editorial Note 1] 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".