A Letter from John Bevis, M. D. to the Rev. Thomas Birch, D. D. Secretary to the Royal Society; Containing Astronomical Observations, Made at Vienna, by the Rev. Father Joseph Liesganig

XX. A Letter from John Bevis, M.D. to the Rev. Thomas Birch, D.D. Secretary to the Royal Society; containing Astronomical Observations, made at Vienna, by the Rev. Father Joseph Liefganig. Dear Sir; Read April 25, 1765. FATHER Leifganig, in a very polite and sensible Latin letter, dated Vienna, April 3, 1765, informs me, that a correspondence between himself and me had been recommended to him by Father Boschowick, who paid him a visit in his return from Constantinople; and Father Boschowick above a year ago sent me a very high character of his confrere's affection, assiduity, and abilities for astronomical observations. You will, therefore, Sir, be pleased to lay the inclosed sett, which I have just received from him, before the Royal Society; as they, indeed, appear to me to have been made with much care and circumspection. By his own account, he was appointed to the Observatory of the Jesuits College at Vienna towards the end of 1754; where he found, indeed, a large stock of instruments, but mostly unfinished and imperfect; that, after spending a whole year in getting them fit for use, he had disagreeable and unavoidable avocations, which kept him some years from resuming the care of his beloved Observatory; but that now he finds himself in possession of the following complete apparatus. 1. Two mural quadrants, each of nine feet radius, placed north and south in the meridian (the Vienna to the London foot, as 10000 to 9646). 2. A six feet quadrant, supported by a vertical axis, and convertible to any azimuth. 3. A ten feet sector, constructed in P. Boschowick's manner. 4. A four feet quadrant, placed on the azimuth circle which Tycho Brahe used at Prague. 5. A moveable quadrant of $2 \frac{1}{2}$ feet radius, which he used in the mensuration of three degrees on their meridian, by order of the Empress Queen, by means of a series of triangles, the result whereof he is calculating at this time. 6. A transit instrument of $6 \frac{1}{2}$ feet. Together with several fixed telescopes, a gnomon 14 feet high, micrometers, &c. of all which he intends to publish a particular description, with his observations taken at Vienna reduced and compared with astronomical tables. He makes the latitude of his observatory, at the Jesuit's College, $48^\circ 12' 35''$. Dear Sir, Your affectionate, and most obedient servant, Clerkenwell-Close, April 4, 1764. J. Bevis. 1764. Occultatio Spicæ ☹ a Luna, Februar. 20. | Temp. Horolog. | Tempus Verum | |----------------|--------------| | h ' " | | | 0 19 20,1 | 20 die Febr. | | 0 19 8,6 | 21 die | | 15 10 13,0 | 14 51 0,0 | | 16 11,7 | 56 58,8 | | 16 13 28,7 | 15 14 16,2 | | 18 26 52,5 | 18 7 41,1 | Meridies ex altitud. correspond. ☹ Immersio Spicæ in Limb. ☹ lucid. Limbus orientalis in Meridiano. Emercio Spicæ ex Limbo obscur. Ophiuchi in Meridiano. Hujus altitudo major erat, quam altitudo Limbi Australis 6' 22'' 5'. Mercurius in Barom. 27 d. 10,51. Parif. in Therm. Reaumur. +7,9 Eclipsis ☹, die 17 Martii. | Temp. Horolog. | Tempus Verum | |----------------|--------------| | h ' " | | | 0 14 57,9 | die 17 | | 0 18 45,6 | die 18 | | 24 0 8,3 | | Barometri variatio à die 17 ad 18 erat à 27 d. 111. ad 27 d. 81. Thermometri à +4 ad +5 Merid. ex altit. correspond. ☹ Revolutio Fixarum ex culminatione Rigel in Tubo fixo. Initium dubium umbræ densæ. Obscuratio o dig. 47'. Limbus occid. in Meridiano cornu præced. infer. in Merid. cornu sequens super. in Merid. Limbus orientalis in Meridiano. cornu sequens altius erat quam Limb. eclipsatus ,8' 25''. Grimaldi medium immergitur. Obscuratio 3½ dig. Pitatus totus. Quad. fixo 9 ped. Tem. | Temp. Horolog. | Tempus Verum | |---------------|--------------| | h' ' " | h' ' " | | 18 27 | 5 dig. | | 22 35 | 5 ½ | | 24 28 | Fracastorius tangitur, seu incipit immergei. | | 25 35 | Fracastorii medium. | | 26 32 | Keppleri medium. | | 26 57 | 6 dig. | | 27 5 | Fracastorius totus. | | 29 30 | Copernicus tangitur. | | 31 54 | 6 ½ | | 33 31 | Copernicus totus. | | 37 30 | 7. | | 38 54 | Eratosthenes tangitur. | | 39 29 | Langrenus tangitur. | | 41 30 | Langreni medium. | | 42 51 | Langrenus totus. | | 43 40 | 7 ½ | | 46 7 | Manilius tangitur. | | 48 15 | Manilius totus. | | 49 25 | Menelaus et Taruntius tanguntur. | | 51 10 | Menelaus totus, et obscurat. 8 dig. | | 54 12 | Promontorium Somni tangitur. | | 55 37 | Mare Crisium tangitur. | | 57 24 | Proclus. | | 59 30 | Obscuratio maxima, 8 dig. 23'. Duravit fere 12'. | | 13 10 10 | Mare Crisium totum inmergitur. | | 23 50 | Grimaldi medium emergit. | | 24 48 | Grimaldus totus emergit. | | 13 47 25,4 | ξ in Meridiano. Culminantis limbus australis altior erat quam ξ ,6', 24''. | | 13 37 46 | 7 dig. | | 43 4 | 6 ½ | | 43 40 | Manilius totus emergit. | | 45 25 | Menelaus totus. | | 48 6 | 6. | | 51 9 | Schikardi medium. | | 52 50 | 5 ½ | Tempus | Tempus Verum | Schikardus totus. | |-------------|------------------| | 53 27 | | | 56 53 | 5. | | 14 0 10 | Proclus. | | 0 55 | 4 ½. | | 1 17 | Maris Crisium medium. | | 2 5 | Promontorium Somni totum. | | 4 52 | 4. | | 5 19 | Tychoonis medium. | | 6 7 | Tycho totus. | | 7 21 | Taruntius totus. | | 8 49 | 3 ½. | | 8 52 | Promont. acutum. | | 12 40 | 3. | | 16 15 | 2 ½. | | 19 28 | 2. | | 22 39 | 1 ½. | | 25 35 | 1. | | 27 16 | ½. | | 29 30 | Finis umbræ densæ. | Eclipsis Eclipsis ☉, ante et post Meridiem 1 Aprilis. Ante Observationem Eclipseos referam Solis et Stellarum in ejus Parallelo constitutarum, culminationes, iis diebus observatas. Barometrum 1 et 3 Aprilis fere ad 27 d. 9 l. constitit; 2 Aprilis vero circa Meridiem ad 27 d. 10 l. Paris. Reaumurianum Therm. ostendit fere + 7: Procyone vero 3 Aprilis culminante + 8,9. | Temp. Horolog. | Tempus Vetus | |---------------|-------------| | 1 April. | | | h 7" | h 7" | | 0 7 31,7 | 23 58 56,0 | | 3 8 35,7 | 0 0 0,0 | | 0 0 24,7 | 0 0 49,0 | | 10 10 29,5 | 10 2 2,8 | D cornu Australius in Meridiano. O centrum ex altitudibus correspond. D cornu Borealius. d Ω Stella hæc Borealior erat quam limb. D Australis culminans, 11'. 7,3'': et Australior, quam cornu D Boreum culminans, 6'. 48'',1. Revolutio fixarum à 1 ad 2 Aprilis. | 23 56 0,8 | | |---------------|-------------| | 2 April. | | | 0 8 14,0 | 0 0 0,0 | | 10 6 30,5 | 9 58 25,5 | O centrum in Meridiano. d Ω Stella australior erat quam limb. O australis culminans, Micrometri Revolut. 6',16, seu 3'. 47'',0. Revolutio fixarum à 2 ad 3 Aprilis. | 23 56 0,6 | | |---------------|-------------| | 3 April. | | | 0 7 53,1 | 0 0 0,0 | | 6 41 37,8 | 6 33 50,4 | O centrum in Meridiano. Procyon. Stella Borealius erat quam O limbus superior Micrometri Revol. 4',46, seu 2'. 44'',5. | 31 Martii. | | |---------------|-------------| | 22 21 50 | | Initium Eclipseos ☉. Pro determinanda quantitate Eclipseis usus sum Tubo dioptrico praecario 5 ½ ped. Micrometri Revolutiones 34,14 Diametrum ☉ eo die æquabant. Defini vi autem quantitatem obfcurationis ad singulas Revolutiones cochleæ micometricæ, et inde ad digitos reduxi, Tempus | Temp. Ver. | h' | " | I dig. | |-----------|----|---|-------| | 22 | 30 | 4 | | | 32 | 2 | | | | 34 | 0 | | | | 36 | 7 | | | | 38 | 14 | | | | 40 | 16 | | | | 42 | 2 | | | | 43 | 56 | | | | 46 | 12 | | | | 48 | 23 | | | | 50 | 28 | | | | 52 | 22 | | | | 54 | 23 | | | | 56 | 31 | | | | 58 | 41 | | | | 23 | 0 | 54| | | | | 3 | | | | | 5 | | | | | 7 | | | | | 9 | | | | | 11| | | | | 13| | | | | 16| | | | | 18| | | | | 21| | | | | 23| | | | | 26| | | | | 28| | | | | 31| | | | | 34| | | | | 37| | | | | 40| | | | | 43| | Thermom. Reaumurianum loco confueto, quo radii solares non pertingunt, positum, durante Eclipsi vix ultra $\frac{1}{2}$ grad. mutationem subiit. Therm. vero ejusmodi Soli objectum ostendit. +18,0 17,8 16,2 15,2 14,5 13,2 Sol eclipsatus imminet Meridiano Temp. | Temp. Ver. | h | m | d | | |-----------|---|---|---|---| | 1 Aprilis.| | | | | | 027 | 24| 6 | 30| 14,7| | 29 | 41| 15| | | | 32 | 2 | 0 | | 16,5| | 34 | 14| 5 | 45| | | 36 | 27| 30| | | | 38 | 29| 15| | | | 40 | 45| 0 | | 18,0| | 43 | 6 | 4 | 45| | | 44 | 58| 30| | | | 47 | 6 | 15| | | | 49 | 17| 0 | | | | 51 | 31| 3 | 45| 18,5| | 53 | 37| 30| | | | 55 | 53| 15| | | | 58 | 10| 0 | | | | 59 | 58| 2 | 45| | | 1 | 58| 30| | 19,0| | 3 | 50| 15| | | | 6 | 38| 0 | | | | 8 | 38| 1 | 45| | | 10 | 41| 30| | 21,2| | 12 | 42| 15| | | | 14 | 25| 0 | | 21,5| | 23 | 13| | | | Finis Eclipsis tubo dioptrico insigni Euftachii Divini, pedum fere 12. Vol. LV. T 15 Aprilis. 15 Aprilis. Occultatio Spicæ ψ à Ὁ: Tempus Venum. | h | ' | " | |---|---|---| | II | 21 | 41,7 | Immersio Spicæ ψ in Limbum Ὁ lucidum tubo dioptrico Diviniano 12 pedum. Stellam tempore Emerfionis non vidi nisi jam à Ὁ Limbo distantem, tum ob nubes, quae interceferant, tum ob nimiam Lunæ fere plenæ lucem. Aliae * * Occultationes Viennæ observatæ. | Anno | Mense | Die | Occultatio | |------|-------|-----|-----------| | 1736 | Augusti | 2 | α ψ | | 1736 | Octobr. | 22 | α ψ | | 1737 | Martii | 8 | α ψ | | 1738 | Octobr. | 2 | α ψ | | 1756 | Decemb. | 5 | α ψ | | 1757 | Decemb. | 12 | ε Ὁ | | 1760 | Martii | 29 | ν ψ | | 1762 | Februar. | 2 | γ ψ | | 1762 | Martii | 2 | θ ψ | N. B. Ὁ hic adscriptis diebus etiam in Transitu per Meridianum observata est. Stellarum, Θ et Ὁ altitudo in Transitu per Meridianum semper observatur in Quadrante murali 9 pedum, nisi aliud Instrumentum indicetur. XXI. An