[meteorite-list] 17th century fireball illustrations

From: Martin Altmann <Altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Dec 10 17:53:43 2004
Message-ID: <001701c4df0b$530cd240$02d3e4d9_at_9y6y40j>

Hi Svend,

may you let the swedish guy scan the the pages with text at Mallet to this
picture?

I'm quite sure that it is depictinig comets in the tradition of Plinius
"Naturalis Historia",
where the comets were categorized by their different shapes (I think 11 or
12 different?)
Often found also in books about comets socalled cometographiae up to the end
of 17th century.
Very typical for instance that one shaped like a sword to the very right,
that is typical Plinius.
For example famous Hevelius, whodefined their parabolic tracks, printed
still a plate with the shapes of comets a la Plinius in his Cometographia,
1668.

I'm so sleepy, perhaps some comet freaks from the list here, can supply more
details?
Cheers!
Martin

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Svend Buhl" <SvendBuhl_at_web.de>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 10:46 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] 17th century fireball illustrations


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 05:55:19 PM PST