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Acta Universitatis Carolinae. Mathematica et Physica Franz Daxecker Christoph Scheiner's main work "Rosa Ursina sive Sol" Acta Universitatis Carolinae. Mathematica et Physica, Vol. 46 (2005), No. Suppl, 127--140 Persistent URL: http://dml.cz/dmlcz/143830 Terms of use: © Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 2005 Institute of Mathematics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic provides access to digitized documents strictly for personal use. Each copy of any part of this document must contain these Terms of use. This paper has been digitized, optimized for electronic delivery and stamped with digital signature within the project DML-CZ: The Czech Digital Mathematics Library http://project.dml.cz 2005 ACTA UNIVERSITATIS CAROLINAE - MATHEMATICA ET PHYSICA VOL. 46, Supplementum Christoph Schemer's Main Work "Rosa Ursina sive Sol" FRANZ DAXECKER Innsbruck Received 20. October 2004 In volume I Scheiner tackles the issue of who was first to discover the sunspots, he also proves that Galilei made errors of observation. Volume II shows illustrations of tele- scopes, projection methods and compares the optics of a telescope with that of the human eye. In volume III, observations on sunspots are illustrated. Volume IV consists two parts. The first part again deals with the phenomena of the sun, the second part is a collection of quotations from the Scriptures, Church Fathers and philosophers, all designed to prove that Schemer's interpretation of the fluid heavens conformed to Catholic doctrine. The work contains 784 pages in Latin. The text presents a rather tedious reading task as it is written in the style typical of the time. It contains four books. In the first part, Scheiner discusses the question of priority of discovery in regard to the sunspots. The second part not only describes telescopes, different kinds of pro- jection and the helioscope but also compares the optics of the telescope to the phy- siological optics of the eye. In the third book, Scheiner presents a comprehensive collection of the data from his observation of the sunspots. Book 4 consists of two parts: The first part deals once again with solar phenomena like sunspots and sun flares, the sun's rotation period of 27 days and the inclination of its axis of rotati- on. In the second part, Scheiner mentions numerous passages and quotations from the Bible, the writings of the Church Fathers and philosophers to prove that his geocentric view is in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church.1 Christoph Scheiner, Rosa Ursina sive Sol, Bracciano, 1626-630. University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, Austria lA summarized translation in German is found in: Daxecker, Franz, Ed. (1996), Das Hauptwerk des Astronomen P. Christoph Scheiner SJ "Rosa Ursina sive Sol" - eine Zusammenfassung. Inns- bruck: Ber. nat.-med. Ver., suppl. 13. 127 Introduction The first 39 pages are not numbered. The title propounds that the sun has a changing surface due to sunspots and sun flares. It rotates in an annual move- ment around a fixed axis from West to East and in a monthly movement around a mobile axis from East to West. The mobility of the sun will be demonstrated in four books. Scheiner describes himself as a Jesuit and Swabe and dedicates the work to the Duke of Bracciano, Paulus Jordanus.2 The copper engraving on the title page3 shows three bears in a cage twined around with roses. The topmost bear holds a sheet of paper in his left paw. A ray of light falls through an opening in the ceiling of the cave, projecting an image of the sun with its sunspots on the paper. In his right paw, the bear holds a pair of astronomical dividers. Instruments telescopes stand near its feet. The second bear breastfeeds the baby bears, the adjacent inscription reads "Continuous hard work will prevail", the third bear is asleep. The inscription says "I am my own nourishment". Another copper engraving depicts the patron of the work, "Paulus Jordanus EL Orsinus Bracciani Dux", surrounded by twelve suns, with a rose between each two suns. Schemer's list of the main chapters of his work is followed by an approbation of Father General Mutio Vitelleschi and the permission to print, given by Father Niccolo Riccardi.4 The frontispiece follows suit, showing the signs of the zodiac and the name Father Christoph Scheiner SJ at the top left of the page, and under- neath it a hand holding an open book which is enlightened by the spirit (Auctori- tas sacra). The monogram of Christ "IHS" is placed in the middle of the page, to its right a dedication to Paulus Jordanus II. Beneath it an eye, illuminated by the spirit, is looking at a hand drawing the sunspots (Ratio). Further below a depicti- on of Holy Bathildis5, a member of the Orsini family. In the lower third of the frontispiece the coat of arms of the Orsini family is displayed. The lower half jux- taposes secular credibility (Auctoritas profana), symbolized by the closed Bible which is the ultimate confirmation of any statement, and perception (sensus) which is symbolized by dividers, telescope and scales.6 2Duke Paolo Giordano Orsini II (1591-1656). His brother was Cardinal Alessandro Orsini (1593-1626). The name of the family and the rose in the coat of arms of the family supplied the name for the work, "Rosa Ursina sive Sol". 3Signed "MG", Matthäus Greuter, born 1564 in Straßburg, since 1606 in Rome, died 22 August 1638 in Rome, Noack, Friedrich (1927), Das Deutschtum in Rom seit dem Ausgang des Mittelalters, 2 vols., Berlin: Deutsche Verlagsanstalt, vol. 1:133, 743, vol. 2:218. 4Master of the Holy Palace. 5Queen of the Francs, wife of Chlodwig II. 6Goercke, Ernst (1992), Frontispiz zur Rosa Ursina. In Die Jesuiten in Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt 1549-1773: Ingolstadt, 155-157; Daxecker, Franz (2000), Frontispize in den Werken P. Christoph Sche- iners SJ, In Emblematik und Kunst der Jesuiten in Bayern: Einfluß und Wirkung, Peter M. Daly, Richard G. Dimler SJ, Rita Haub (eds.), Imago Figurata Studies. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, vol. 3:133-144. 128 The following pages are dedicated to Paulus Jordanus II. The term "Rosa Ursi- na sive Sol" is explained: in ancient India, roses were a present for the noble. The rose oil, which was dedicated to the sun, had the power to win their hearts. Schei- ner claims having worked on the volume for 18 years, Rome, profess house, 2 July 1629. To the reader: In 1611, Scheiner observed the sun in moderate fog from the Holy Cross Church in Ingolstadt. He used a telioscope and had no prior notice or rumor of the sunspots. Johann Baptist Cysat suggested the use of tinted glass to facilitate observation at all times. Father Gretser7 was informed and passed the news on to Marcus Welser. Father Theodor Busaeus, Father Provincial of the Upper German Province, had suggested the use of the pseudonym Apelles to pro- tect Scheiner's reputation. First Book The opportunity to write in the City [Rome] Chapter 1 (p. 1): "In the year of 1624, dear reader, I had travelled to Italy with his Highness Archduke Karl of Austria, whose soul God may bless ... to look after certain matters ... so I had shared my knowledge of the sun which I had gained over a period of successive observations in 1611 ... they insisted unswervingly that I not delay such consequential work which is of utmost importance to philosophy ... so I should present the solar phenomenon, which I had begun and never drop- ped ... in correct order ... to free myself from false accusations ... I had also been shown a certain work, printed in the Italian language in Rome in 1623, whose title was "II saggiatore",... I perceived that Apelles was slandered and accused of igno- minious theft while his work on the elliptical sun was made subject to derision."8 Scheiner continues to zealously defend himself against Galile's accusations.9 Chapter 2: Scheiner relates his first observation in Ingolstadt in 1611 and the print of his new observations under the pseudonym, "Apelles latens post tabu- lam".10 Chapter 3: Apelles did not use Galilei's ideas, which is proved by the date on Galilei's letter, which is 28 September 1612. Scheiner did not receive the letter until 5 October 1612 (p. 9/II/34—35). He was the first to use the pinhole projec- 7Father Jakob Gretser SJ (1562-1635), theologian and humanist. 8In "11 saggiatore", Galilei accuses Scheiner of plagiarizing, albeit without giving his name, Braun- mühl, Anton v. (1891), Christoph Scheiner als Mathematiker, Physiker und Astronom, Bayerische Bibliothek 24, Bamberg: Buchnersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 21-23. 9Gorman, Michael John (1998), The Scientific Counter-revolution. Mathematics, natural philo- sophy and experimentalism in Jesuit culture 1580-1670, Florenz: European University Institute, 137-158. 10Casanovas, Juan (1997), Early Observations of Sunspots: Scheiner and Galileo. In 1st Advances in Solar Physics Euroconference, Advances in the Physics of Sunspots, ASP Conference Series 118; B. Schmieder, J. C. del Toro Iniesta, M. Väsquez (Eds.), 3-20. 129 tion method and the reflection method. Likewise the use of tinted glass and the drawing method go back to Scheiner. Galilei explains the movement of the sun- spots in a straight parallel with the ecliptic.11 Chapters 4-7: Scheiner gives more reasons for the time of discovery of the sunspots. Chapter 8: Scheiner has never claimed priority of discovery, Galilei falsely cla- ims to have invented the telescope. Chapter 9: Scheiner accuses Galilei of ignoring the essential properties of the sunspot phenomenon: the annual movement, the irregular monthly movement, the direction of the movement, the location of the spots, the obliqueness of the move- ment in relation to the ecliptic.
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