jMtfcellanea Curiofa. q 



pretty accurately defcribe the Path of a Comet 

 amongft the Fix'd Stars, but was too laxe as 

 to the Account of the Time ^ fo that this nioffc 

 doubtful and uncertain Comet, only deferves to 

 be inferted in our Catalogue, for the fake of its 

 appearing near 400 Years ago. 



Then the next of our Comets was in the Year 

 1472, which being the fwifteft of all, and neareft 

 to the Earth, was obferv'd by Regiomantanm. 

 This Comet (fo frightful upon the Account 

 both of the Magnitude of its Body^and the Tail) 

 mov'd Forty Degrees of a great Circle in the 

 Heavens, in the Space of one Day ; and was 

 the firft, of which any proper Obfervations 

 are come down to us. But all thofe that 

 conlider'd Comets, until the Time of Tick a 

 Brahe (that great Reltorer of Aitronomy) 

 believ'd them to be below the Moon, and fo 

 took but little Notice of them, reckoning 

 them no other than Vapours. 



But in the Year 1577, (Tkho fericrfly 

 pursuing the Study of the Stars, and having 

 gotten large Inftruments for the Performing 

 Codeftial Menfurations, with far greater Care 

 and Certainty, than the Ancients cou'd ever 

 hope for) there appear'd a very remarkable 

 Comet *j to the Obfervation of which, Ticho 

 vigoroufly applied bimfelf 5 and found by ma- 

 ny juft and faithful Trials, that it had not a 

 Diurnal Parallax that was at all perceptible: 

 And confequently was not only no Aircal Va- 

 pour, but alfo much higher than the Moon * 

 nay, might be piac'd amongft the Planets for 

 any thing that appear'd to the Contrary } 

 jtjie cavilling Oppolition made by fome of the 



