Where, if anywhere, did Rheita see Veronica's Veil?. (May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Covington, Michael A.
• Is Part Of: Journal for the history of astronomy. Volume 48:Number 2(2017:May)
• Page Start: 233
• Page End: 237
• Publication Date: 2017-05
• Subjects: Rheita (A. M. S. de, 1604–1660) -- Zahn (Joannes, 1641–1707) -- Smyth (W. H., 1788–1865) -- asterism -- constellation -- Veronica's Veil; Astronomy -- History -- Periodicals; 520.9005
• DOI: 10.1177/0021828617708625
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8286

Abstract

The asterism of Veronica's Veil reported by Rheita in 1645 is argued to be real, though inconspicuous; not a star cluster; and not correlated with Johannes Zahn's picture published in 1686 and widely redistributed. The asterism is most likely the rectangle bounded by ρ Leonis, β Sextantis, ο Leonis, and ι Hydrae, with some scattered interior stars interpreted as a face.