Simon Marius’s Reports on the Comets of 1596 and 1618, in the Context of the Comet Research of His Times

In 1596, 1607, and 1618, several comets could be observed in Europe. They were widely commented upon in the contemporary literature, and numerous small tracts were published about these events. Marius himself published booklets about the comets of 1596 and 1618, the first as an “Alumnus” in Heilsbronn and the second as an experienced scholar. The differences in quality between the two publications are remarkable. In 1596, Marius had not yet developed an autonomous scientific view on the comets, and so his small publication fluctuates between two positions: astrological interpretation on the one hand and the increasingly accepted insights on the celestial nature of comets on the other. The comet of 1596 provided strong new arguments for the latter standpoint.