Night of a Thousand Stars

Front facade of Houghton Library

Lilly, William, 1602-1681. The starry messenger, 1645. *EC65.L6288.B652tOur current exhibition, “Starry Messengers: Signs and Science from the Skies,” will be having its (slightly weather-delayed) opening reception on Tuesday March 10 at 5pm. The exhibition focuses on a series of astronomical events, such as comets, meteors, and supernovas, and shows how these events were viewed by scientists, writers, soothsayers, and others. As the curator of the exhibition, I’ll be on hand to answer your questions, so please join me Tuesday night!

To whet your appetite, here are a few images from the items on display (click to enlarge):

[This post was contributed by John Overholt, Curator of the Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Samuel Johnson and Early Modern Books and Manuscripts.]