11:43
Cosmo
Emanuel Bowen - The Solar System, with the Orbits of 5 remarkable Comets, “Complete System of Geography”, 1747.
The map shows the Solar System with each Planet given a circular orbit. The real highlight of the map is Bowen’s identification of 5 remarkable Comets. He does not name any of the Comets, but does give dates and orbital periods, as then known:
1337 - xxxx. Most likely the Perseid Comet. Bowen does not offer a return date, but if it is the Perseid Comet, it reappeared in 1468, with 131 year window. The speculative nature of this Comet’s path is indicated by a dotted line.
1590 - xxxx. Another speculative Comet, but most likely an early observation of Halley’s Comet, which appeared in 1590.
1661 - 1789. In all probability Comet Ikeya-Zhang which reappeared in 2002. The 18th century calculations performed by Johannes Hevelius giving this Comet a 129 year orbit were apparently incorrect. The Chinese and Japanese astronomers Zhang Daqing and Kaoru Ikeya, respectively, recalculated the course of the Comet following its 2002 appearance giving it a 366.51 year orbit, the longest of any periodic Comet.
1680 - xxxx. This is the Great Comet of 1680, also called Kirch’s Coment or Newton’s Comet. Visible even during the day with a spectacular tail that bisected the night sky, this was one of the brightest Comets in recorded history. This comet was also used by Isaac Newtown to test Kepler’s laws. As a non-periodic Comet it is not known when or if this spectacular satellite will return.
1682 - 1758. Halley’s Comet, which appeared in 1759 and has a 75-76 year orbit.
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