Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- PREFACE
- MEMOIR
- TREATISE
- Chapter I The occasion, excellence, and utility of the Observation
- Chapter II Account of the Observation
- Chapter III What others observed, or might have observed, of this Conjunction
- Chapter IV It is proved that the spot observed in the Sun's disc was really Venus
- Chapter V The Examination of the apparent Longitude and Latitude of Venus from the Sun
- Chapter VI The alteration of the apparent into the true situation of Venus
- Chapter VII An Inquiry into the Time and Place of the true Conjunction of Venus and the Sun
- Chapter VIII The Demonstration of the Node of Venus
- Chapter IX The beginning, middle, and end of the Transit are shewn
- Chapter X An Examination of the Calculations of Astronomers respecting the foregoing
- Chapter XI The Calculation of Copernicus
- Chapter XII The Calculation of Lansberg
- Chapter XIII The Calculation of Longomontanus
- Chapter XIV The Calculation of Kepler
- Chapter XV Correction of the Motions according to Rudolphi
- Chapter XVI On the Diameter of Venus
- Chapter XVII On the Diameters of the rest of the Planets, of the Proportion of the Celestial Spheres, and of the Parallax of the Sun
- Plate section
Chapter XIV - The Calculation of Kepler
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- PREFACE
- MEMOIR
- TREATISE
- Chapter I The occasion, excellence, and utility of the Observation
- Chapter II Account of the Observation
- Chapter III What others observed, or might have observed, of this Conjunction
- Chapter IV It is proved that the spot observed in the Sun's disc was really Venus
- Chapter V The Examination of the apparent Longitude and Latitude of Venus from the Sun
- Chapter VI The alteration of the apparent into the true situation of Venus
- Chapter VII An Inquiry into the Time and Place of the true Conjunction of Venus and the Sun
- Chapter VIII The Demonstration of the Node of Venus
- Chapter IX The beginning, middle, and end of the Transit are shewn
- Chapter X An Examination of the Calculations of Astronomers respecting the foregoing
- Chapter XI The Calculation of Copernicus
- Chapter XII The Calculation of Lansberg
- Chapter XIII The Calculation of Longomontanus
- Chapter XIV The Calculation of Kepler
- Chapter XV Correction of the Motions according to Rudolphi
- Chapter XVI On the Diameter of Venus
- Chapter XVII On the Diameters of the rest of the Planets, of the Proportion of the Celestial Spheres, and of the Parallax of the Sun
- Plate section
Summary
But I leave these patrons of circles and equality, these artificers of an useless labyrinth, and their hypotheses which are faulty in their construction and incapable of amendment. For although the measures of the eccentricities of the orbits, together with the mean motions, might be corrected so as to resemble this and other observations; yet as the stars are governed by different laws from those which they have invented, it is impossible by a complication of such circles to bring about an entire agreement with appearances.
I hasten therefore to that prince of astronomers, Kepler, to whose discoveries alone, all who understand the science will allow that we owe more than to those of any other person. I venerate with the greatest honour and admiration his sublime and enviably happy genius; and if necessary, I would defend with my best efforts the Uranian citadel of the noble hero who has so much surpassed his fellows, nor shall any one while I live, violate his ashes with impunity. His death was an event that must ever have happened too soon; the science of astronomy received the lamentable intelligence whilst left in the hands of a few trifling professors who had kept themselves concealed like owls until the brightness of his sun had set.
Who, mighty shade, shall sing thy praises? who,
Worthy so great a task, shall reach the stars? […]
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Jeremiah HorroxTo Which is Appended a Translation of his Celebrated Discourse Upon the Transit of Venus Across the Sun, pp. 176 - 180Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010