Oeuvres complètes. Tome III. Correspondance 1660-1661

N^o 871.
J. Hevelius à R. Boyle.
[mars 1661].
Appendice au No. 870.

La pièce se trouve à Leiden, coll. Huygens.

A short Information of the VII. Sun's, which were observed at Dantzigk by Alderman Hevelius.

Anno m.dc.lx.i. 20 Februarii Stylo novo. About 11. a Clocke, when ye Sun was going into the South East, & the Aire was very cleer & still round about, I did see vii. Sun's together very distinctly in ye Heavens, to wit, 3. coloured ones, & 3, white ones, besides ye true Sun itselfe, about which was first a pretty bigg & almost closed Circle round about, very fair of colours, much like a Rain-bow, vpon which on both sides 2. coloured Suns with the right Sun of the same altitude from

[p. 289]

the Horizon were found, both of them having long, cleere, & some what whitish tailes picket as a Comet; ye one bending towards ye East, & the other towards West. 2. Above the Circle right over halfe ye Sun vnder a verticale Line, there stood a piece of an inverted Circle or Rain-bow, very fair of all manner of colours with another some what darkish collaterall Sun. 3. There presented it selfe yet a greater Circle of all manner of fair colours round about ye Sun, which compassed ye same Circle, was some what paler & not alltogether shut, ye Horizon beeing too near, & the Diameter of the Circle beeing too great, vpon which on the top of the capitall point there was also to bee seene an inverted piece of an Rain-bow, very bright & of Orient colours. 4. There came another exceeding greate & whitish silver coloured Circle as it were out of both ye collaterall Suns, besides ye true Sun, there came out of it^a); which incompasseth ye whole Horizon, and stood equally from the same. At the same Distance, some 20. Degrees vpon the Circle, I say, there stood again 3. silver coloured suns, the one in the North towards the West, to wit, over against ye right Sun, the other into the East by North, & the third into ye East towards ye South. Thorough thiese two last, to wit, towards Easterly & West, there passed a white piece in circle wise coming from above, & passing thorough the great bow on which they stood, so that thorough both thiese collaterall Suns there seemed to passe a white Crosse, which was very notable & wonderfull to behold neare an houre & halfe, till all vanished again. So that this whole Phoenomenon presented itselfe above measure or exceeding fair. Besides it's very remarkeable, that 7. Suns after this manner have together shew'n themselves, which truely had scarce ever been observed. Yea if I had some what sooner observed this Phoenomenon, there might have beene seene 9. Suns together, for I could well diserne the footsteps of two more.

a) Hic puto amplificandum. [Boyle?]