Page - 147 - in Maximilian Hell (1720–92) - And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe

147The 1761 Transit of Venus and Hell’s Transition to Fame The imperial heir’s attendance at the Jesuit observatory confirms the status of Cassini de Thury’s journey as not only a scientific one but a visit of first-rate diplomatic significance. It also involved meetings with top decision-makers like Kaunitz, and an audience with Maria Theresa herself, who lavished on the astronomer such honors that “I can hardly comprehend, still less am I able to express.”25 Despite the fact that in Hell’s observatory high buildings nearby blocked part of the view to the east, where the rising Sun was expected to display Venus as a tiny spot on its disc, three observers were present at that site—the Vien- nese professor of physics, Joseph Herbert (Herberth [1725–94]) of the Society of Jesus, along with two of Hell’s students. The imperial astronomer himself, however, took up his position in a tower of the nearby Jesuit library.26 All these sites of observation lay within a few hundred meters of each other and pro- vided the astronomical community with independent data from a total of nine observers from virtually the same geographical point.27 What is important to note, however, is that—with the single exception of Liesganig—none of the professional observers in Vienna managed to observe the interior contact of egress, due to clouds. All they could see were parts of the planet’s path across the Sun’s disc, as well as the moment of exterior contact. Returning to Hell’s report, the general failure to observe the interior contact at ingress in Vienna did not render the observations futile. Altogether, thirty- two pages are devoted to the observations in the Habsburg capital and the con- clusions drawn from them. On the level of scientific prestige, Hell’s scheme arguably entailed a massive success. In his letter to Rieger, quoted above, Hell confessed that he found Chappe’s comments on the seeming ignorance of as- tronomy among the Viennese disturbing. Not surprisingly, in his report he goes to some lengths when reporting the endeavors of the local amateurs intro- duced in Chapter 2. Sambach took up position on the top of his house in the suburb of Spittelberg “with a seven-foot telescope fabricated by himself and instructed by me with a micrometer, mounted on a stand that resisted all kinds of motion, and having moreover a pendulum clock to hand,” but failed to see anything whatsoever of the crucial contacts due to clouds.28 The “highly illus- trious Mr. Müller” was prepared to observe in the St. Leopold district, with his 25 Cassini de Thury, Relation de deux voyages, xi. 26 Hell, “Observatio transitus Veneris […] 1761,” 1–20, here 1. 27 The authors are indebted to Prof. Maria G. Firneis of the Institut für Astrophysik at the University of Vienna for information concerning the positions of these historical sites (guided tour during the conference “Astronomie in Wien: 250 Jahre Eröffnung der Univer- sitätssternwarte,” September 29–October 1, 2006). 28 Hell, “Observatio transitus Veneris […] 1761,” 20–21.