O vycházení

O vycházení a zapadání přednějších hvězd oblohy osmé: tak aby se i bez globu, kdykoli v roce která zvláštnější hvězda se spatří, co a jaká jest a jak slove, spatřiti mohlo

On the rising and the setting of the nearmost stars of the eighth heaven: that without a globe, at any time during the year whichever particular star is sought along what and how it is and how it is called, might be found.

Origin of the work:
  1630 Leszno

Editions:
  1943 Prague, published by K. Čupr under the title Hvězdářská pomůcka J. A. Komenského, in: Říše hvězd, 24, no. 3-4

1968 Prague, Vybrané spisy J. A. Komenského, vol. V

1969 Prague, J. A. Comenii Opera omnia, vol. 1

Contents:

A stand-alone astronomical handbook written in Czech, and intended for the broadest public. The manuscript survives as part of the ‘Leningrad miscellany’ of works by Comenius, in the Saltik-Shchedrin Public Library, St Petersburg, together with the Czech-language O poezi české and the Latin treatises the Geometria, the Cosmographiae compendium, the Prima philosophia and the Historia profana sive politica.

In Comenius’ time professional astronomers used the celestial glove for their studies of the stars. Comenius wrote this handbook in order that laymen, who did not have such an instrument to hand, might observe and identify the stars and constellations. Jan Amos was an adherent of the geocentric theory. The eighth heaven was that (the sphere) of the stars, which followed behind the spheres of the Moon, the Sun and the five planets then known. The concept of a system with these heavenly bodies circling the Earth in spheres (orbits) was expressed by Comenius in an illustration to his early work the Theatrum universitatis rerum (the Theatrum).

For further study, see also:

J. A. Comenii Opera omnia, vol. 1. Prague 1969, pp210-216

Vybrané spisy J. A. Komenského, vol. V. Prague 1968, pp59-62

Jan Kumpera, J. A. Komenský, poutník na rozhraní věků. Prague & Ostrava 1992, pp272-273