Maps of Solar Eclipses from 1740 to 1759

The magnificent Atlas Coelestis appeared in 1742. This celestial atlas contained thirty large plates including constellations, a comparison of the Copernican and Tychonean concepts of solar system, a detailed map of the Moon, the trajectories of comets, and diagrams and maps of solar eclipses.

Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr was the polymath who computed and engraved the eclipse plates. Doppelmayr’s work spanned astronomy, cartography, geography, spherical trigonometry, and sundials and he attended lectures by Johann Christoph Sturm who produced an early eclipse map of the 1767 solar eclipse. The atlas was compiled and published by the heirs of Johann Baptist Homann, a prominent Nuremberg cartographer who died in 1724.

The Gentleman’s Magazine was the first periodical to include maps of solar eclipses in 1748 and 1764. It was the first journal to use the term magazine and was published from 1731 to 1922.

In the 18th century, Scottish astronomer James Ferguson designed an ingenious mechanism for simulating solar eclipses. The Eclipsareon could be tilted for seasonal inclinations and the shadow template could be positioned for the true position of the Moon’s shadow.

Partial Solar Eclipse of 1743 October 17

Eustachio Manfredi
Title: Eclipsis Telluris XVII Octobers MDCCXLII
Volume: Novissimae ephemerides motuum coelestium e Cassinianis tabulis ad meridianum Bononiae supputatae auctoribus Eustachio Manfredio Bononiensis scientiarium Instituti astronomo, et sociis ad usum instituti. Ex Anno 1738 in Annum 1750
Source: https://preserver.beic.it/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1350642
https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/wihibe/content/titleinfo/4192774

Total Solar Eclipse of 1746 September 15

August Gottlob Boehme
Title: Projectio Orthographica Eclipseos Terrestris exhibeer Faciem Telluris Tempore Ingrestus Centri Penumbra
Source: https://www.deutschefotothek.de/documents/obj/70975176/df_dat_0004504

Partial Solar Eclipse of 1747 March 11

Eustachio Manfredi
Title: Eclipsis Telluris X Martii MDCCXLVII
Volume: Novissimae ephemerides motuum coelestium e Cassinianis tabulis ad meridianum Bononiae supputatae auctoribus Eustachio Manfredio Bononiensis scientiarium Instituti astronomo, et sociis ad usum instituti. Ex Anno 1738 in Annum 1750
Source: https://preserver.beic.it/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1350642
https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/wihibe/content/titleinfo/4192774

Annular Solar Eclipse of 1748 July 22

Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr and Georg Moritz Lowitz
Title: Europa Eclipsata d. xxv. Iul. MDCCXXXXVIII
Volume: Atlas coelestis in quo mundus spectabilis et in eodem stellarum omnium phoenomena notabilia, circa ipsarum lumen, figuram, faciem, motum, eclipses… secundum Nic. Copernici et ex parte Tychonis de Brahe, hipothesin… graphice descripta exhibentur.

Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr
Title: Die verfinsterte Erdkugel d. i. Geographische Vorstellung der Sonnen od. Erd Finsternis den 25ten Iulii Ao. 1748.
Volume: Atlas coelestis in quo mundus spectabilis et in eodem stellarum omnium phoenomena notabilia, circa ipsarum lumen, figuram, faciem, motum, eclipses… secundum Nic. Copernici et ex parte Tychonis de Brahe, hipothesin… graphice descripta exhibentur.

George Smith

Title: The Geography of the Great Solar Eclipse of July 14 MDCCXLVIII exhibiting an accurate Map of all parts of the Earth in which it will be Visible with the North Pole according to the latest discoveries.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3211b.ct003799/?r=0.023,0.01,0.996,0.806,0

Isaak Tirion and Martinus Mouttuyn
Title: Eclipsis solis ad 25. Julii ao. 1748 in Europa a spectandae nova delineatio, qua praeter quantitatem, tempora incipientis mediae & finientis eclipsis, omnibus locis propria, nova omnino & nunquam edita methodo ostenduntur
Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/2013593155/

Engraving of Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr by painter Georg Paul Nußbiegel
Courtesy of Robert van Gent
https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/doppelmayr/doppelmayr.htm

In 1742, Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr created the Atlas Coelestis, an epic volume of astronomical diagrams, including star and constellation charts, a Moon map, diagrams comparing the planetary orbit theories of Copernicus, Tycho, and Riccioli. This book was published by Homann and Heirs, a prominent Nuremburg cartography shop.

Eustachio Manfredi
Title: Eclipsis Telluris XXIV Juli MDCCXLVIII
Volume: Novissimae ephemerides motuum coelestium e Cassinianis tabulis ad meridianum Bononiae supputatae auctoribus Eustachio Manfredio Bononiensis scientiarium Instituti astronomo, et sociis ad usum instituti. Ex Anno 1738 in Annum 1750
Source: https://preserver.beic.it/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1350642
https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/wihibe/content/titleinfo/4192774

Annular-Total Solar Eclipse of 1750 January 8

Little can be discerned about August Gottlob Boehme (1719-1797) other than he was associated with the Homann and Heirs cartographic house in Nuremburg. Besides these two eclipse maps of the 1750 eclipse, he created another eclipse map for the total solar eclipse of 1746 September 15.

August Gottlob Boehme
Title: Typus Universalis Omnes Regiones Globl Terraquei nestri, quae ab Eclipsi Solari die 8 Januarii 1750 afficiuntur stereographice sissens.
Source: https://www.deutschefotothek.de/documents/obj/70975176/df_dat_0004508

August Gottlob Boehme
Title: Repraesentatio Eclipseos Solaris Visibilis De VIII Januarii 1750.
Source: https://www.deutschefotothek.de/documents/obj/70975176/df_dat_0004509

Annular-Total Solar Eclipse of 1753 October 26

Eustachio Zanotti
Title: “Eclipsis Telluris XXV Octobers MDCCLIII”
Publication: Ephemerides motuum coelestium ex anno 1751 in annum 1762 ad meridianum Bononiae supputatae auctoribus Eustachio Zanotto ... et sociis ad usum Instituti
Source: https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/thumbview/4725770 https://preserver.beic.it/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE6012336

After a long run of three ephemerides spanning years from 1715 to 1750 by Eustachio Manfredi, his student Eustachio Zanotti continued the ephemerides through the year 1786.

The Ephemerides Motuum Coelestium (tables of celestial motions) were the first publications to includes multiple eclipse maps per volume.

Eustachio Zanotti
Cover page of Ephemerides motuum coelestium ex anno 1751 in annum 1762 ad meridianum Bononiae supputatae auctoribus Eustachio Zanotto ... et sociis ad usum Instituti
Source: https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/thumbview/4725770https://preserver.beic.it/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE6012336

Annular Solar Eclipse of 1758 December 30

Eustachio Zanotti
Title: “Eclipsis Telluris XXIX Decembris MDCCLVIII
Publication: Ephemerides motuum coelestium ex anno 1751 in annum 1762 ad meridianum Bononiae supputatae auctoribus Eustachio Zanotto ... et sociis ad usum Instituti
Source: https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/thumbview/4725770 https://preserver.beic.it/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE6012336