Unpublished correspondence of Tycho Brahe, Kepler and others, with Magini

What it is

This is a printed book published in Bologna in 1886 by Antonio Favaro. Its title is Carteggio inedito di Ticone Brahe, di Keplero e di altri celebri astronomi e matematici dei secoli XVI e XVII con Giovanni Antonio Magini. It was taken from the Malvezzi de' Medici archive in Bologna and was published and illustrated by Nicola Zanichelli. Brahe appears among many correspondents in the collection. The title page and preface are in Italian.

Why it matters

The letters show how astronomers in the late 1500s and early 1600s shared observations and ideas across borders. Brahe and Kepler, two of the most important astronomers of their age, both wrote to Magini, who was based in Italy. The book is a later edition, prepared more than two centuries after the letters were written, so it reflects the choices of its editor. Its introduction discusses the struggle over the Copernican system in the decades around 1600.

Look closer

• Why would astronomers in different countries write letters to one another?
• What does the editor's choice to focus on Magini tell you about what this book is trying to show?
• Whose voices are missing from this collection, and how might that change the story it tells?