Johannes Hevelius

Correspondence of Johannes Hevelius and Stanislaw Lubieniecki

Johannes Hevelius, a reputed 17th-century astronomer, and Stanislaw Lubieniecki, a historian and theologian of the Polish Brethren (with rather amateurish astronomical interests), were quite frequent correspondents. The main subject of their letters pertained to cometary observations, especially to those of 1664 and 1665. The two also discussed other cometary phenomena and astronomical issues. In their epistolary exchange, Lubieniecki served as a middleman who, seemingly lacking his own astronomical opinions, shared with Hevelius what he had received from other learned correspondents, and forwarded to them Hevelius's outlook. The number of letters suggests that Hevelius appreciated Lubieniecki's help and service, even if at times he seemed less enthusiastic about the news and revelations he had learned from him. Therefore, Hevelius-Lubieniecki correspondence is a useful source of less known early modern astronomical views and beliefs. This volume is a part of the edition of Johannes Hevelius's correspondence. The collection of letters, whose manuscripts are kept in the Library of the Paris Observatory, has not been published nor thoroughly studied yet.