Naturalist John Hill Named Shellfish Constellation Gryphites in 1754

Summary: English naturalist John Hill named shellfish constellation Gryphites in his 1754 astronomical dictionary, Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens.

John Hill's Gryphites the Shellfish constellation (upper center-right) inhabits the northern celestial hemisphere's fourth quadrant (NQ4), in the neighborhood of Hercules the Hero, Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, Serpens Cauda the Serpent's Tail, Aquila the Eagle, Sagitta the Arrow, Vulpecula the Fox and Lyra the Lyre, and shares the quadrant with one other Hill-invented constellation, Manis the Pangolin (lower left): Ultima Thulean, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

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

Hill (1714-Nov. 21, 1775) introduced the molluscan 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 formed out of certain conſpicuous ſtars near the ſign Hercules in the northern hemisphere."

Hill recognized in the figure in which "the ſtars very happily fall" the "out-lines" of Gryphites, the shells of extinct oysters, marine bivalve mollusks, in the genus Gryphaea. The shellfish's fossilized remains "are very frequent in beds of ſtone, and at depths in the earth, but which, in its recent ſtate, is an inhabitant of the deep ſeas only, and ſcarce ever is waſhed on ſhore." Although a type of oyster, the figure of the species reminded Hill of the Nautilus genus of marine molluscs. Despite extinction, Gryphites retain familiarity. "Moſt of the writers on natural hiſtory have mentioned it, and it is deſcribed and figured in the hiſtory of foſſils."

Five constellations neighbor Gryphites the Shellfish, according to Hill's design. It is surrounded by Hercules the Hero, Lyra the Lyre, Vulpecula the Fox, Aquila the Eagle and Serpens Cauda the Serpent's Tail. "It is placed in an inverted poſture with reſpect to Hercules, and is at a ſmall diſtance over his left arm. . . . The upper part or hollow of the ſhell is oppoſite to the lower part of the arm of Hercules, his hand is againſt its middle, and the lip, or turning-up of the ſhell, is oppoſite to his ſhoulder."

Hill referenced the Johannes Hevelius-invented Vulpecula the Fox constellation as Vulpis et Anſer and as the Fox and Gooſe. The head of the shell "is in a line with the Fox and Gooſe, and the head of it ſtands oppoſite to the wing of the Gooſe." The shell's head also relates to Aquila the Eagle and Lyra the Lyre as "the horns of the Lyra are at ſome diſtance over the head of the Shell" and the Eagle's tail "comes alſo toward its head."

Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer and Serpens Cauda the Serpent's Tail also associate with Gryphites the Shellfish. The "ſweep of the lower part, or back of the ſhell, is over the tail of Ophiucus's Serpent, and in part over the head of Ophiucus."

Although describing Gryphites the Shellfish as "a ſmall conſtellation," Hill complimented the ratio of stars to space in its location. He considered: "but for its extent very well ſet with ſtars."

Hill tallied 11 principal stars, mostly "very conſpicuous," and "ſituated principally toward the head and toward the lip of the ſhell," in Gryphites. He assessed that "they are ſo well diſpoſed alſo in the figure, that there is not a conſtellation in the heavens better marked, or more eaſily diſtinguiſed."

His delineation of the placements of the component stars on the celestial shell began with "one in the head, and another a little below it." Two stars mark the body, with "one of them near the upper, and the other near the under out-line of the ſhell." A fifth star, placed "a little above and beyond that of the upper out-line . . . is ſmaller than any of the others, but ſufficiently conſpicuous." Two stars, "near one another, and very conſpicuous," accentuate the lower part near the shell's extremity. Beyond, three stars, numbering as the constellation's eighth, ninth and 10th, show "where the ſhell turns up," with "one near the lower, one near the upper out-line." The group's third star, numbering as the Shellfish's 10th starry component, occurs "a little beyond and between them." The largest and most conspicuous of the set, this 10th star also "is the largeſt in the whole conſtellation." The constellation's 11th and last star shines as "a ſmall, but very bright one, placed at the verge of the lip."

Hill ended his tour of Gryphites with praise for the brilliance of his new oysterous constellation. "The whole conſtellation is as bright a cluſter of ſtars as any in the heavens."

Six of Gryphites the Shellfish's 11 stars are identified by 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 "Gryphites -- The Shellfish," posted on their Obliquity website. All six stars reside in Hercules the Hero: 95 Herculis (abbreviated 95 Her), 98 Her, 102 Her, 109 Her, 110 Her and 112 Her.

Interestingly, constellation Gryphites shares stars with a constellation devised approximately 67 years earlier by 17th-century Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (Polish: Jan Heweliusz; Jan. 28, 1611-Jan. 28, 1687). Hevelius introduced Cerberus the Three-Headed Snake in Prodromus Astronomiae, printed in 1687 and published posthumously by his wife, Polish astronomer Elisabeth Catherina Koopmann Hevelius (Polish: Elżbieta Koopman Heweliusz; Jan. 17, 1647–Dec. 22, 1693). Hevelius relied upon 95 Her, 102 Her, 109 Her and 110 Her to reshape Greek mythology's multi-headed dog Cerberus into his own constellatory discoery, Cerberus the Three-Headed Snake.

Gryphites the Shellfish occupies the northern celestial hemisphere's fourth quadrant (NQ4). The celestial Shellfish shares the quadrant with one other Hill-invented constellation, Manis the Pangolin.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has not recognized Gryphites as an official constellation. Accordingly, Gryphites does not appear on the list of 88 IAU-approved constellations. Exclusion from the official list, however, does not remove Gryphites from its starry location. Skygazers may still locate John Hill's oysterous asterism in southeastern Hercules the Hero.

John Hill's Gryphites the Shellfish constellation emerges from unformed stars near Hercules the Hero in the northern celestial hemisphere's fourth quadrant (NQ4); John Hill, Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens (1754): Ultima Thulean, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

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:

John Hill's Gryphites the Shellfish constellation (upper center-right) inhabits the northern celestial hemisphere's fourth quadrant (NQ4), in the neighborhood of Hercules the Hero, Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, Serpens Cauda the Serpent's Tail, Aquila the Eagle, Sagitta the Arrow, Vulpecula the Fox and Lyra the Lyre, and shares the quadrant with one other Hill-invented constellation, Manis the Pangolin (lower left): Ultima Thulean, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_Hemisphere_Hill's_Constellations.png

John Hill's Gryphites the Shellfish constellation emerges from unformed stars near Hercules the Hero in the northern celestial hemisphere's fourth quadrant (NQ4); John Hill, Urania, or, A Compleat View of the Heavens (1754): Ultima Thulean, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Griphaea_Constellation.jpg

For further information:

Harper, David; and L. (Lynne) M. Stockman. "Cerberus -- The Three-Headed Dog. Unofficial Abbreviation: Cer. Genitive: Cerberi. Origin: Johannes Hevelius." Obliquity > Sky Eye > The Constellations > Extinct Constellations.
Available @ https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/88const/Cer.html

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

Hill, John. "Gryphites." 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/n224/mode/1up

Hill, John. 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/

Kaler, James B. (Jim). “95 HER (95 Herculis).” University of Illinois Astronomy Department > Star of the Week.
Available @ http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/95her.html

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 Bufo the Toad Constellation in 1754." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/english-naturalist-john-hill-named-bufo.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

Marriner, Derdriu. "Naturalist John Hill Named Tooth Shell Constellation Dentalium in 1754." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/naturalist-john-hill-named-tooth-shell.html

Sassarini, Iacopo. "95 Herculis." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hercules.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/95-herculis-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "98 Herculis." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hercules.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/98-herculis-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "102 Herculis." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hercules.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/102-herculis-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "109 Herculis." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hercules.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/109-herculis-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "110 Herculis." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hercules.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/110-herculis-star

Sassarini, Iacopo. "112 Herculis." The Sky Live > Constellations > Hercules.
Available @ https://theskylive.com/sky/stars/112-herculis-star