Earth and Space News: English Naturalist John Hill Named Bufo the Toad Constellation in 1754

Summary: English naturalist John Hill introduced Bufo the Toad constellation in his 1754 astronomical dictionary, Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens.

Eighteenth-century English apothecary, naturalist and writer John Hill introduced Bufo the Toad constellation in his astronomical dictionary, Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens, published in 1754.

Hill (1714-Nov. 21, 1775) introduced the toady constellation with the standard epithet that he uniformly applied to all 15 new constellations in Urania. "A conſtellation offered to the aſtronomical world," he wrote, adding "and compoſed of a number of unformed ſtars near the ſign Libra." The "out-lines" of the starry arrangement suggested "the common toad, mentioned by all the writers on natural hiſtory, and celebrated among the vulgar, to a proverb, for the brightneſs of its eyes, one of which is repreſented by the moſt conſiderable ſtar in the conſtellation."

Bufo was depicted, in profile pose, on Hill's chart for Libra the Balance occurring between the first and second of five pages on Libration. Bufo's brightest star, visual double star system Brachium (Latin: "arm"; Sigma Librae, σ Librae; abbreviated Sigma Lib, σ Lib), represents the toad's eye, according to David Harper, once an astronomer specializing in celestial mechanics and positional astronomy but now a genome researcher, and his wife, astronomer L. (Lynne) M. Stockman, in "Bufo: The Toad," posted on their Obliquity website.

Although describing Bufo the Toad as "but a ſmall aſteriſm," Hill valued the ratio of stars to space in its location. He assessed that "for the ſpace which it occupies in the heavens, it contains a very fair portion of ſtars; theſe have always been conſidered as a conſpicuous cluſter, and it is wonderful that they have not before been arranged under the form of ſome animal, in the manner of thoſe cluſters which form the Lynx, and the others."

Five constellations surround Bufo, according to Hill's design. In addition to Libra, Hydra the Sea Serpent flicks "the bright ſtar in the tail of the Hydra . . . near the hinder part," amidst neighbors Centaurus the Centaur, Lupus the Wolf, Scorpius the Scorpion and Virgo the Maiden. The placements of Centaurus the Centaur and Lupus the Wolf correspond to Bufo's back and feet. At a safe distance, Bufo's head faces one of the scorpion's pincers while one of Libra's weighing pans overshadows the crown of Bufo's head. Virgo's left foot aligns with Bufo's back "but this is at ſome diſtance."

John Hill's Bufo the Toad constellation (center) inhabits the Southern Hemisphere's third quadrant (SQ3), with Centaurus the Centaur, Hydra the Sea Serpent, Libra the Balance, Lupus the Wolf, Scorpius the Scorpion and Virgo the Maiden as constellatory neighbors; Bufo shares the quadrant with two other Hill-invented constellations, Aranea the Spider (upper center) and Scarabaeus the Rhinoceros Beetle (lower left): Ultima Thulean, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Hill tallied Bufo's "conſpicuous ſtars" at 15, of which "ſome . . . are remarkably bright and conſiderable." Moreover, the bright quindecaplet's comfortable distance from constellatory neighbors assures its noticeability. "There is not any one of theſe that is very near any of the other conſtellations, but they are abſolutely a detached cluſter."

Hill detailed the body parts represented by the group of 15. Of the two in the head "one is near the extremity or mouth, and this a ſmall one; the other, which may be called the Toad's Eye, is a very fine one of the ſecond magnitude. There are two on the upper part of the neck, and two more in the fore paw. Upon the anterior part of the body there ſtand ſeven, they are of different magnitudes, but two toward the back are large, and one at the ſide, toward the thigh of the fore leg, is yet larger. There is alſo a large one in the hinder thigh, and another in the rump, or at the hinder extremity of the body."

Nine of Bufo's 15 stars are identified by Harper and Stockman in "Bufo -- The Toad" on their Obliquity website. Four stars belong to Libra: 12 Libra (abbreviated 12 Lib), Sigma Lib (σ Lib), HD (Henry Draper) 129944 and HD126218.

Hydra contributes seven: 51 Hyra (abbreviated 51 Hya), 52 Hya, 56 Hya, 58 Hya and 59 Hya.

Bufo occupies the southern celestial hemisphere's third quadrant (SQ3). The celestial toad shares the quadrant with two other Hill-invented constellations, Aranea the Spider and Scarabaeus the Rhinoceros Beetle.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has not recognized Bufo as an official constellation. Accordingly, Bufo classifies as a former constellation that may be designated as defunct, extinct, forgotten or obsolete. Lack of official recognition, however, does not preclude its existence for skygazers appreciating a toady constellation.

John Hill equated his Aranea the spider constellation with Earth's common long-legged spiders, known as Acarus, and with field spiders; depictions of seven species of Aranea genus of spiders and of two species of long-legged Acarus species, in John Hill, An History of Animals (1752), Plate 2, opposite page 30: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

John Hill's Bufo the Toad constellation (lower right) emerges from unformed stars near Libra the Scales in the southern celestial hemisphere's third quadrant (SQ3); John Hill, Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens, vol. I (M.DCC.LIV [1754]), between first and second of five pages on Virgo: Public Domain, via Google Books Read for Free @ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Urania_or_a_compleat_view_of_the_Heavens/n_ReAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1; Ultima Thulean, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bufo_Constellation.jpg

John Hill equated his Bufo the Toad constellation with Earth's "common toad"; depictions of a frog (lower-center right) and a toad (lower center), in John Hill, An History of Animals (1752), Plate 6, opposite page 113: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56071240; Biodiversity Heritage Library (BioDivLibrary), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/50375462592/

For further information:

Harper, David; and L. (Lynne) M. Stockman. "Bufo -- The Toad. Unofficial Abbreviation: Buf. Genitive: Bufonis. Origin: John Hill." Obliquity > Sky Eye > The Constellations > Extinct Constellations.
Available @ https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/88const/Buf.html

Hill, John. "Rana." Pages 111-112. An History of Animals: Containing Descriptions of the Birds, Beasts, Fishes, and Insects, of the Several Parts of the World; and Including Accounts of the Several Classes of Animalcules, Visible Only by the Assistance of Microscopes. London: Printed for Thomas Osborne, in Gray's-Inn, M.DCCLII [1752].
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56071314

Hill, John. "Serpents Lizards & Tortoises." Plate 6, opposite page 113. An History of Animals: Containing Descriptions of the Birds, Beasts, Fishes, and Insects, of the Several Parts of the World; and Including Accounts of the Several Classes of Animalcules, Visible Only by the Assistance of Microscopes. London: Printed for Thomas Osborne, in Gray's-Inn, M.DCCLII [1752].
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56071317
Available via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/50374595333/

Hill, John. "Bufo." Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens, Containing the Antient and Modern Astronomy, in Form of a Dictionary. London: T. Gardner, M.DCC.LIV [1754].
Available via Google Books @ https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/lzigAAAAMAAJ?hl=en
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lzigAAAAMAAJ/page/n88/mode/1up

Marriner, Derdriu. "English Naturalist John Hill Introduced 15 Constellations in 1754." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/english-naturalist-john-hill-introduced.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "English Naturalist John Hill Named Eel Constellation Anguilla in 1754." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/english-naturalist-john-hill-named-eel.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "English Naturalist John Hill Named Spider Constellation Aranea in 1754." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/english-naturalist-john-hill-named.html

Sassarini, Iacopo. "Brachium -- σ Librae (sigma Librae)." The Sky Live > Constellations > Libra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/brachium-sigma-librae-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "51 Hydrae." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hydra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/51-hydrae-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "12 Librae." The Sky Live > Constellations > Libra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/12-librae-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "52 Hydrae." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hydra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/52-hydrae-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "56 Hydrae." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hydra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/56-hydrae-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "58 Hydrae." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hydra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/58-hydrae-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "59 Hydrae." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hydra.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/59-hydrae-star

Earth and Space News

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

English Naturalist John Hill Named Bufo the Toad Constellation in 1754

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