Hevelius Introduced Lynx Constellation in 1687 as Visible to Lynx-Eyed

Summary: Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius introduced the Lynx constellation in 1687 as a faint, star-shaped cat visible to lynx-eyed observers.

Lynx constellation (upside down; top left) in the Sobieskian firmament's northern hemisphere (Hemisphaerium Firmamenti Sobiesciani Boreale); J. Hevelii, Prodromus Astronomiae Cum Catalogo Fixarum, & Firmamentum Sobiescianum (MDCXC [1690]), opposite page 22: Public Domain, via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara

Seventeenth-century Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius introduced the Lynx constellation in 1687 as a faint, star-shaped feline visible to lynx-eyed, i.e., sharp-sighted, observers.

Johannes Hevelius (Polish: Jan Heweliusz; Jan. 28, 1611-Jan. 28, 1687) presented Lynx the Lynx constellation as one of 10 constellations that he had created in Prodromus Astronomiae. The three-volume compendium comprised the Prodromus; a star catalogue, Catalogus Stellarum Fixarum; and a star atlas, Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia. The catalogue and atlas were printed in 1687 but were published posthumously with the Prodromus in 1690 by the astronomer-selenographer's wife, Polish astronomer Elisabeth Catherina Koopmann Hevelius (Polish: Elżbieta Koopman Heweliusz; Jan. 17, 1647–Dec. 22, 1693).

Hevelius's Lynx constellation appeared as the fourth of his 10 newly created constellations in Chapter VIII, De Numero Aſteriſmorum & Stellarum, tum nonnullis Rebus animadverſione dignis, of section Tabulae Solares Novae ("New Solar Tables") in the Prodromus. He formed the feline constellation in the empty space occurring between Auriga the Charioteer and Ursa Major the Great Bear constellations and above Gemini the Twins constellation. "Quartò, Lyncem, quem inter Urſam Majorem, & Aurigam ſupra Geminos rejeci, ubi in Globis vacuum reperitur ſpatium," Hevelius explained (page 114).

Hevelius assigned 19 stars to the Lynx constellation. He discerned the constellation's faint starry components with his unaided eyes, i.e., without a telescope. ". . . ibidem 19 Stellulas detexi, non quidem Teleſcopio aliquo, ſed nudo oculo benè viſibiles, prout etiam omnes nudo oculo, nudisque dioptris, Majoribus Inſtrumentis obſervavi," Hevelius noted.

The animal kingdom's Felidae family is renowned for the traits of highly developed hearing and sight. Accordingly, Hevelius named his constellation after one of the four species in the Felidae family's Lynx genus. Acknowledging the overall faintness of the Lynx constellation, he assessed the necessity of lynx-like sharp-sightedness for successful Earth-based Lynx constellation sighting. The legendary eyesight of Prince Lynceus (Ancient Greek: Λυγκεύς "lynx-eyed") of Messenia, lookout on the Argo (Ancient Greek: Ἀργώ) during the quest for the Golden Fleece by ancient Greek mythological hero Jason (Ancient Greek: Ἰάσων, Iásōn), exemplified the visual acuity deemed necessary for Lynx constellation seekers. "Proinde Lyncem ibidem conſtitui, quòd nemo non neceſſariò ſit Lynceus, vel oculos habeat Lynceos" (page 115), Hevelius observed. He concluded that whoever wishes to contemplate the Lynx constellation must be Lynceus ("Qui Lyncem contemplari velit, oportet, ut ſit Lynceus").

Hevelius depicted the Lynx constellation in Tavola Y in Firmamentum Sobiescianum, the third volume of Prodromus Astronomiae. As with all of Hevelius's figures, the constellation is reversed, shown "back to front," as if on a celestial globe, as noted by English constellation history biographer Ian Ridpath (born May 1, 1947) in posts on "Hevelius and Firmamentum Sobiescianum" and "Hevelius’s depiction of Lynx" on his Star Tales website. The view of constellations created by looking in from outside of the imaginary celestial globe mirrors the image that appears to viewers looking outward from inside of the imaginary celestial globe. The orthographic projection from outside of the celestial sphere reverses the celestial sphere's inside gnomonic projection, according to chirality ("handedness"; Ancient Greek χείρ (kheír, “hand”), the property of asymmetry that distinguishes an image from its mirror image by disallowing their superimposition.

Thematically, the Lynx constellation relates to southern neighbor Gemini the Twins via Prince Lynceus of Messenia. Lynceus and his older brother, Prince Idas (Ancient Greek: Ἴδας, Ídas), sought revenge against twin half-brothers Castor and Pollux (Ancient Greek: Κάστωρ καὶ Πολυδεύκης, Kástôr kaì Poludeúkês) for kidnapping their fiancées, Phoebe (Ancient Greek: Φοίβη, Phoíbē; φοῖβος phoîbos, "shining") and Hilaera (Ancient Greek: Ἱλάειρα, Ilaeira), known as the Leucippides ("daughters of Leucippus"; Leucippus, (Ancient Greek: Λεύκιππος Leukippos, "white horse"). Idas killed Castor, and Pollux killed Lynceus. Constellation Gemini (Latin: geminī, "twins") reunites Castor and Pollux.

Johannes Hevelius's 19-star Lynx constellation; depiction from perspective of outsider looking into celestial globe reverses actual appearance of sky for Earth-based observer as insider looking outward at celestial globe; J. Hevelii, Firmamentum Sobiescianum (MDCXC [1690]), Fig. Y: Public Domain, via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

Lynx constellation (upside down; top left) in the Sobieskian firmament's northern hemisphere (Hemisphaerium Firmamenti Sobiesciani Boreale); J. Hevelii, Prodromus Astronomiae Cum Catalogo Fixarum, & Firmamentum Sobiescianum (MDCXC [1690]), opposite page 22: Public Domain, via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara @ https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/133876

Johannes Hevelius's 19-star Lynx constellation; depiction from perspective of outsider looking into celestial globe reverses actual appearance of sky for Earth-based observer as insider looking outward at celestial globe; J. Hevelii, Firmamentum Sobiescianum (MDCXC [1690]), Fig. Y: Public Domain, via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara @ https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/133925

For further information:

Ashworth, Bill. "Hevelius' Firmamentum Sobiescianum. Hevelius, Johannes. Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia. Gdansk, 1690. Hevelius was also one of the great observational astronomers of the 17th century. Gdansk is Danzig in German, of course. His sky maps are reversed from the geocentric view: with them you are looking in on the Celestial Sphere. Since the constellations only have meaning from the Earth's perspective, this is a ridiculous convention." UNLV Department of Physics & Astronomy University of Nevada, Las Vegas > David Jeffery Site > 3. Science Links Including My Own Online Works > 3. Astronomy > Constellations, Clusters of Stars, and Star Names > 3. The Constellations in History > Constellations from Great Celestial Atlases. "Constellations from Great Celestial Atlases: from the Linda Hall Library exbition Out of This World: The Golden Age of the Celestial Atlas."
Available @ https://www.physics.unlv.edu/~jeffery/astro/constellation/linda_hall.html

Hevelii, Johannis. Catalogus Stellarum Fixarum ad Annum Christi M DCC completum. Pages 269-308. Prodromus Astronomiae Cum Catalogo Fixarum, & Firmamentum Sobiescianum. Gedani [Gdansk]: Typis Johannis-Jachariae Stollii, M DC XC [1690].
Available via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara @ https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/133764

Hevelii, Johannis. "De Loco Lyncis. Quartò, Lyncem, quem inter Urſam Majorem, & Aurigam ſupra Geminos rejeci, ubi in Globis vacuum reperitur ſpatium, & plerumque Dedicatione, & Inſcriptione repletur, ibidem 19 Stellulas detexi, non quidem Teleſcopio aliquo, ſed nudo oculo benè viſibiles, prout etiam omnes nudo oculo, nudisque dioptris, Majoribus Inſtrumentis obſervavi; & ſunt ſextae, & quintae tantùm magnitudinis. Si quis aurem eas exactè & debitè contemplari, examinare, atque Organis rimari velit, profectò non ſit myops, ſed viſu polleat, ut res è longinquo benè diſcernere valeat. Proinde Lyncem ibidem conſtitui, qud nemo non neceſſariò ſit Lynceus, vel oculos habeat Lynceos. Qui Lyncem contemplari velit, oportet, ut ſit Lynceus." Pages 114-115. Prodromus Astronomiae cum Catalogo Fixarum, & Firmamentum Sobiescianum: Prodromus Astronomiae . . . Quibus additus est uterq[ue] Catalogus Stellarum Fixarum, tam major ad Annum 1660, quàm minor ad Annum completum 1700. Acceſſ Corollarii loco Tabula Motus Lunae Libratorii, Ad bina ſecula proximè ventura prolongata, brevi cum Deſcriptione, ejus ue uſu. Tabulae Solares Novae, pages 51-142. Caput VIII De Numero Aſteriſmorum & Stellarum, tum nonnullis Rebus animadverſione dignis," pages 108-124. Gedani [Gdansk]: Typis Johannis-Zachariae Stollii, M DC XC [1690].
Available via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara @ https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/133606
Available via National Digital Library Polona @ https://polona.pl/item-view/049ab5c8-5726-4a52-ad1b-48f3f475c4f2?page=72
Available via Google Books Read Free of Charge @ https://www.google.com/books/edition/JOHANNIS_HEVELII_PRODROMUS_ASTRONOMIAE/OEPatgAACAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
Available via Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology Catalog @ https://catalog.lindahall.org/discovery/delivery/01LINDAHALL_INST:LHL/1284873740005961

Hevelii, Johannis. Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Sive Uranographia, Totum Coelum Stellatum, Utpote Tam Quodlibet Sidus, Quam Omnes et Singulas Stellas, Secundum Genuinas Earum Magnitudines, Nudo Oculo, Et Olim Jam Cognitas, Et Nuper Primum Detectas, Accuratissimisque Organis Rite Observatas, Exhibens. Gedani [Gdansk]: Typis Johannis-Zachariae Stollii, M DC LXXXVII [1687].
Available via ETH-Bibliothek e-rara @ https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/133849
Available via The National Library of Poland Polona Digital Library @ https://polona.pl/item/johannis-hevelii-prodromus-astronomiae-exhibens-fundamenta-quae-tam-ad-novum,NTU5MTc4Mg/86/#info:metadata

Hevelii, Johannis. "Lynx vel Tigris." Pages 382-383. Machinae Coelestis. Liber Quartus, Rerum Uranicarum Observationes, Gedani. Gedani [Gdansk]: Simon Reiniger, M DC LXXIX [1679].
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/Machinacoelesti2Heve/page/382/mode/1up

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Available via EDP Sciences @ https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2010/08/aa14003-10/aa14003-10.html