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127Enlightened
and Jesuit Networks, and a New Node of Science
Returning to the Viennese astronomic universe, besides the two observatory
directors, it naturally included a good number of lesser figures, such as assis-
tants and students. One of these at the Imperial and Royal Observatory also led
Hell—after and besides his inquiries into electricity—to dip into another
neighboring field of astronomy: meteorology. In various editions of the Ephe-
merides, meteorological reports as well as discussions of meteorological instru-
ments were included, chiefly thanks to Hell’s assistant in 1762–73, Anton Pil-
gram (1730–93). Pilgram—who acted as Hell’s replacement in his functions,
including the edition of the Ephemerides, during Hell’s absence from Vienna
for the Arctic expedition—later published a thick volume entitled “Investiga-
tions on What Is Probable in Meteorology” based on daily measurements made
at the Imperial Observatory, as well as published observations from elsewhere
in Europe.102 In 1761, upon inspection of the meteorological journals of the Je-
suit observatory in Vienna, Hell himself believed that he could predict the
weather for years in advance. He even wished to publish an “ephemeris of the
weather” (Ephemerides meteorologicae) ahead of each year.103
When presenting this idea to Van Swieten, however, Hell was made to un-
derstand that such a publication would not receive support from the powerful
councilor, who would in fact make sure it was never allowed to see the light of
day. In an apparently heated conversation, Van Swieten accused Hell of having
abused the title of membre correspondant by naming himself an ordinary
member (Mitglied) of the Académie des Sciences, and revealed that he had
spoken negatively about Hell and his meteorological theory to Her Highness
(i.e., Maria Theresa). Hell’s defiant reaction was to outline to Lacaille the rudi-
ments of his theory,104 in order to make sure that, in case Van Swieten (whom
published as a separate booklet); and 1760 (Philosophiae recentioris a Benedicto Stay in
Rom[ano] Archigymn[asio] eloquentiae profess[ore] versibus traditae Libri X, ad Sylvium
Valentium Cardinalem amplissimum, cum adnotationibus, et supplementis P. Rogerii Jose-
phi Boscovich S.J. in Collegio Rom[ano] publ[ico] matheseos professore tomus 2, Rome); cf.
e.g. Tolomeo, Boscovich: Lettere, 13–14; and the online inventory http://www.brera.inaf.it/
boscovich/progetto-sito/opere_a_stampa.pdf (accessed April 15, 2019).
102 Anton Pilgram, Untersuchungen über das Wahrscheinliche der Wetterkunde (Vienna: Kurz-
boeck, 1788). On Pilgram’s work, see Thomas Posch and Karin Lackner, “Anton Pilgram:
Mitbegründer neuzeitlicher wissenschaftlicher Meteorologie?,” in Firneis and Kersch-
baum, Konferenzbeiträge/Proceedings, 55–69; Steinmayr, “Geschichte der Universitätsste-
rnwarte,” 246–62.
103 Hell may have changed the name of his almanac to Ephemerides astronomicae in this year
in order to differentiate it from the intended Ephemerides meteorologicae.
104 Hell to Lacaille in Paris, dated Vienna, April 27, 1761 (wus). Further context is given in his
letter to Weiss, dated Vienna, April 1, 1761 (Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, Egyetemi
Könyvtár [Loránd Eötvös University, University Library, Budapest—hereafter: elte EK],
copy in Vargha priv.). The theory itself is set out in an unfinished manuscript at the wus,
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book Maximilian Hell (1720–92) - And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe"
Maximilian Hell (1720–92)
And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe
- Title
- Maximilian Hell (1720–92)
- Subtitle
- And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe
- Authors
- Per Pippin Aspaas
- László Kontler
- Publisher
- Brill
- Location
- Leiden
- Date
- 2020
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-90-04-41683-3
- Size
- 15.5 x 24.1 cm
- Pages
- 492
- Categories
- Naturwissenschaften Physik
Table of contents
- Acknowledgments VII
- List of Illustrations IX
- Bibliographic Abbreviations X
- Introduction 1
- 1 Shafts and Stars, Crafts and Sciences: The Making of a Jesuit Astronomer in the Habsburg Provinces 37
- 2 Metropolitan Lures: Enlightened and Jesuit Networks, and a New Node of Science 91
- 3 A New Node of Science in Action: The 1761 Transit of Venus and Hell’s Transition to Fame 134
- 4 The North Beckons: “A desperate voyage by desperate persons” 172
- 5 He Came, He Saw, He Conquered? The Expeditio litteraria ad Polum Arcticum 209
- 6 “Tahiti and Vardø will be the two columns […]”: Observing Venus andDebating the Parallax 258
- 7 Disruption of Old Structures 305
- 8 Coping with Enlightenments 344
- Appendix 1 Map of the Austrian Province of the Society of Jesus (with Glossary of Geographic Names) 394
- Appendix 2 Instruction for the Imperial and Royal Astronomer Maximilian Hell, S.J 398
- Bibliography 400
- Index 459