<p>Robert Hooke's <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ISP_gRwuz94C&amp;pg=PA255&amp;dq=twinkling%20stars%20air&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiBjJG1t-bLAhVH8CYKHakfD5cQ6AEILTAD#v=onepage&amp;q=twinkling%20stars%20air&amp;f=false">Micrographia</a> from 1664 has a detailed discussion of "seeing"</p>

<p>The table [of contents], which is at the end of the book, explains that pages 230-232 discuss:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>that the Air near the Earth is composed of parts of differing density...this property produces the effects of waving and dancing of Bodies; and of the twinkling of the Stars</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-29T17:56:11.610Z
2016-03-29T17:56:11.610Z
DavePhD
<p>I'm writing a paper on astronomical seeing. Sir Isaac Newton identified both the phenomenon and origin of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_seeing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">astronomical seeing</a> in his Opticks. He writes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If the Theory of making Telescopes could at
length be fully brought into Practice, yet there would
be certain Bounds beyond which Telescopes could
not perform. For the Air through which we look
upon the Stars, is in a perpetual Tremor; as may be
seen by the tremulous Motion of Shadows cast from
high Towers, and by the twinkling of the fix'd Stars.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>is anyone aware of any older reference from Gilbert, Galileo, Harvey, Ptolemy, Copernicus or Kepler?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-26T10:46:23.923Z
You may also want to try asking this question in the [astronomer's Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/123898011017097).
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-01T08:48:26.453Z
This could be asked at the History of Science and Mathematics SE: https://hsm.stackexchange.com/
Jean-Marie Prival
<atmospheric-effects>
Oldest Reference to Astronomical Seeing
Steve
# Oldest Reference to Astronomical Seeing

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-01-26)

I'm writing a paper on astronomical seeing. Sir Isaac Newton identified both the phenomenon and origin of [astronomical seeing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_seeing) in his Opticks. He writes:

> If the Theory of making Telescopes could at
> length be fully brought into Practice, yet there would
> be certain Bounds beyond which Telescopes could
> not perform. For the Air through which we look
> upon the Stars, is in a perpetual Tremor; as may be
> seen by the tremulous Motion of Shadows cast from
> high Towers, and by the twinkling of the fix'd Stars.

is anyone aware of any older reference from Gilbert, Galileo, Harvey, Ptolemy, Copernicus or Kepler?

**Tags:** atmospheric-effects
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You may also want to try asking this question in the [astronomer's Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/123898011017097).  
> **username_2**: This could be asked at the History of Science and Mathematics SE: https://hsm.stackexchange.com/  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-03-29. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Robert Hooke's [Micrographia](https://books.google.com/books?id=ISP_gRwuz94C&pg=PA255&dq=twinkling%20stars%20air&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBjJG1t-bLAhVH8CYKHakfD5cQ6AEILTAD#v=onepage&q=twinkling%20stars%20air&f=false) from 1664 has a detailed discussion of "seeing"

The table [of contents], which is at the end of the book, explains that pages 230-232 discuss:

> that the Air near the Earth is composed of parts of differing density...this property produces the effects of waving and dancing of Bodies; and of the twinkling of the Stars


---

