[Nov. 26, 1610] "In Orione media .... Ex duabis stellis composita nubecula quandam illuminata prima fronte referebat coelo non oio sereno." [In the middle of Orion .... Composed of two stars a nebula [..]]
[Dec. 1 and 3] "Nubecula non apparuit in Orione. Coelo sereno." [The Nebula didn't appear in Orion. Serene sky.]
[Dec. 4] "Nubecula iterum apparuit in Orione. Forte quod aer non esset satis serenus ideoque nec apparuit 4a Medicaea." [The Nebula appeared again in Orion. The strength of the air was not sufficiently serene [..] ]
[Dec. 5] "Coelum non erat serenum adeoque magna apparebat nubecula in Orionis media ut vix distingui potuerint duae stellae. Ac in suprema quoque stella apparuit nubecula." [The sky was not serene [..]]
[Dec. 6] In Orione, in media tm stellae apparuit nubecula, nec quisquam binam stellam distinctione impediebam. []
[Dec. 7] Coelum valde nubilosum suit apparuitque nubecula maxima in media Orionis, ita ref. duae stellae non facile apparuerint. []
[Dec. 8] In Orionis media apparuit nubecula grandis admodu q tm non impedimto suit quin duae stellae distinguerentes. []
[Dec. 9] Coelum oio serenum suit, nec tu definit nubecula in Orionis media. Sed infinitae fere stellulae apparuerit supra tertia Orionis. []
[Dec. 10] Dilucida fuere intervalla sempq apparuit observata? nubecula in Orione. []

Peiresc's discovery is reported by Guillaume Bigourdan in 1916 (Bigourdan 1916).

Reference:

• Guillaume Bigourdan, 1916. La découverte de la nébuleuse d'Orion (N.G.C. 1976) par Peiresc [The discovery of the Orion Nebula (N.G.C. 1976) by Peiresc]. Comptes Rendus, Vol. 162, pp. 489-490.

Last Modification: March 18, 2006