1603 in science

The year 1603 in science and technology involved some significant events.

Astronomy

• Johann Bayer publishes the star atlas Uranometria, the first to cover the entire celestial sphere, and introducing a new system of star designation which becomes known as the Bayer designation.
• Dutch explorer Frederick de Houtman publishes his observations of the southern hemisphere constellations.

Exploration

• Acadia, the French colony in North America, is founded.

Mathematics

• Pietro Cataldi finds the sixth and seventh perfect numbers.

Medicine

• Girolamo Fabrici studies leg veins and notices that they have valves which only allow blood to flow toward the heart.

Institutions

• August 17 – Accademia dei Lincei, the oldest scientific academy in the world, is founded in Rome by Federico Cesi.

Births

• September 15 – John Jonston, Polish naturalist and physician (died 1675)
• Blaise Francois Pagan, French military engineer (died 1665)
• Abel Tasman, Dutch explorer (died 1659)

Deaths

• February 23 – François Viète, French mathematician (born 1540)
• Robert Alaine, English astronomer (born 1558)

References