[meteorite-list] 17th century fireball illustrations

From: Dr. Svend Buhl <SvendBuhl_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Dec 10 16:46:06 2004
Message-ID: <1425783848_at_web.de>

Dear list,

searching for new sources of historic meteorite literature I recently came across a Swedish antiquary selling 17th century book illustrations. I was offered a couple of illustrations from Mallet?s "Description de l'Univers" (Description of the Universe). This tremendous opus published in Paris 1683 consists of 5 volumes and is a complete summary of the scientific and geographic knowledge of this time. (Alain Mannesson Malet was a was a French engineer, cartographer and surveyor who served in Portugal as an army engineer and later under the famous Louis XIV in France)

On the occasion a brief note regarding the recent ?expensive hobby? post: the complete five vollumes of A.M. Mallets "Description de l'Univers" are currently selling for 12,000$.

I knew that this title also contains a volume about astronomy (De La Sphere) and that there is a chapter about comets from which I had seen some superb engravings previously.
I never expected to find illustrations of meteorites in it since the Acad?mie Fran?aise which was founded in 1836, strictly denied the existence of meteorites and fireball phenomena at that time. Scientists publishing about this particular subject were discredited by the Academy and regarded as imbecile in public.

So this Swedish guy came up with a couple of digital images of hand colored copper plate engravings which he asked me to choose from. As I opened the data file and scanned throught the images of comets and planets I was suddenly flashed by a picture clearly showing meteorites trajecting across a night sky.

The sending just arrived today and while I canot share the experience of holding a 17th century handcolored engraving I?d like to share some images and take the occasion to ask for your assistance.

http://www.niger-meteorite-recon.de/en/meteoriten-Mallet.htm

Figure LVII shows a single comet and a variety of bolides.

While the comet can be seen in the upper left part just above the moon the other celestial objects are to be recognized as meteor- or fireball phenomena: different stages and angles of entry, a fireball suffering an explosion along his path, a smoke evaporating bolide, and a twin-bolide with parallel flight paths.

Following the aesthetic and didactic principles of his time, Mallet arranged different phenomena on a single work as if they had occured at the same time. Today?s viewer provides that temporal different occurences are presented in their chronological order or in different frames. But the 17th century contemporary viewer was used to a completely diverse kind of presentation. He was well aware that the presentation of several incidents within the same picture meant temporally different incidents.

Although I did not yet have the opportunity to visit a library and see the particular paragraphs referring to Figure LVIII I?m convinced that this fine piece of art is among the first, if the not the first attempt to develop a typology of the fireball phenomena - almost one hundred years before Chaldni's came up with his "Cosmic Origin of Meteorites and Fireballs".

If anybody knows compareable or earlier works illustrating this specific subject I would apprecciate any information. I know that the list is visited by a number of astronomers and bolide chasers. So I?d be curiuos to learn if there is a consistent terminology regarding the different types of fireballs and if someone can provide a closer description of the bolides shown in the engraving.

thanks in advance

Svend

www.niger-meteorite-recon.de

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Received on Fri 10 Dec 2004 04:46:02 PM PST