An Account of a Book

VIII. An Account of a Book, entitled, Historia Coelestis Britannica, tribus Voluminibus contenta, Authore Joanne Flamsteedio Astronomo Regio. The first Volume contains the Observations of Mr. William Gascoigne (the first Inventor of the Way of measuring Angles in a Telescope, by the Help of Screws; and the first that applied Telescopic Sights to Astronomical Instruments) taken at Middleton, near Leeds, in Yorkshire, betwixt the Years 1638 and 1643, excerpted from his Letters to Mr. Crabtree; with some of Mr. Crabtree's Observations of the same Years; as also Observations of the Sun's and Moon's Diameters; Configurations and Elongations of Jupiter's Satellites from him, small Distances of fixed Stars, with Appulses of the Moon and Planets to them, observ'd with a Telescope and Micrometer at Derby, by Mr. Flamsteed, betwixt the Years 1670 and 1675; with the larger intermutual Distances of fixed Stars, and of the Planets from them; Eclipses of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter's Satellites, Spots on the Sun, Comets and Refractions, taken with a Sextant of near seven Foot Radius, a voluble Quadrant, and the above-mention'd Instruments, betwixt the Years 1675 and 1689, at his Majesty's Observatory, rank'd under proper Heads, with the Places of the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury, deduced from the Observations, and also necessary Tables to be us'd with them. The second Volume contains his Observations (made with a mural Arch of near seven Foot Radius, and 140 Degrees on the Limb) of the meridional Zenith Zenith Distances of the fix'd Stars, Sun, Moon, and other Planets, with the Time of their Transits over the Meridian, together with Observations of the Sun's and Moon's Diameters, Eclipses of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter's Satellites, Variations of the Compass from 1689 to the End of the Year 1719, &c. Tables shewing to render the Calculation of the Stars and Planets Places, from the Observations, easy and expeditious; to which are added the Places of the Moon, (at the Oppositions, Quadratures, and on her Limits, &c.) and the Places of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, derived from the above-mentioned Observations. The third Volume contains a Catalogue of the right Ascensions, Distances from the Pole, Longitudes, and Magnitudes of near 3000 fixed Stars, with Variations of their right Ascensions, and Distances from the Pole, whilst they change their Longitudes one Degree, whereby their right Ascensions and Distances from the Pole may be determin'd for 200 Years past, or to come, sufficiently exact. Large Tables, by which the right Ascensions, and Distances from the Pole of the Stars and Planets, being given, their Longitudes and Latitudes may be found by Inspection. To this Volume is prefix'd a very large Preface; containing, an Account of all the Astronomical Observations made before his own Time, with a Description of the Instruments made Use of; as also an Account, of his own Observations and Instruments, together with a new Latin Version of Ptolomy's Catalogue of 1026 fixed Stars, from the Greek, and Uleg-beig's Places annexed on the Latin Page, with the Corrections; small Catalogues of the Arabs, Tycho Brahe's of about 780 fixed Stars, in a proper proper Order; the Landgrave of Hesse's of 386; Hevelius's of 1534, in a proper Order. A Catalogue of some of the Southern fixed Stars, not visible in our Hemisphere, reduc'd to right Ascension, Distance from the Pole, Longitude, and Latitude, with Variations of right Ascensions, and Distances from the Pole; calculated from Observations made by Dr. Halley, at St. Helena, and Mr. Flamsteed's Star's Places, and fitted to the Year 1726. FINIS. LONDON: Printed for W. and J. Innys, Printers to the Royal Society, at the West End of St. Paul's Churchyard.