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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I came across this interesting query from a fellow astronomer in the Netherlands named Henk Bril. He recently obtained a Star map with unknown origins.

Not only does it show familiar constellations, but also shows Tycho Brahe's supernova, designated as 'Nova Stella 1572' and the path of a comet which is Comet 1741 I. Notice the path it takes, and the diminishing magnitude of the comet.

I contacted Henk, and he has granted permission to reproduce the map here:

www.astrobril.nl/Historie.html

Please visit his site for more detailed information and high resolution graphics of the map in question.

I think it's a great find and an insight to how earlier astronomers recorded the night skies.

Thanks Henk for sharing your Star map with us all.

[HenkBrilNL]

THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED!

On October 12, 2005 it turned out that the map shows observations made by the Dutch Amateur-Astronomer Pieter Gabry of The Hague. The map was used in a Dutch/Latin-leaflet called "Observationes astronomicae de via cometae anni 1748, cum nominibus et magnitudine singularum stellarum fixarum". Is was printed by Gerard du Mée te Den Haag, the only known location of a copy is at the 'Akademie der Wissenschaften' of Göttingen, Germany.

As far as I know I have the only known copy of the map itself.

More on this on my website www.astrobril.nl