Who vagrant transitory comets sees,
Wonders because they’re rare; but a new star
Whose motion with the firmament agrees,
Is miracle; for there no new things are. — John Donne

Anno 1664 den. 18. Decembris…
Martin Zimmermann
Augsburg?: M. Zimmerman, 1664
QB724 Z55 1664

Broadside giving an account of a comet seen in Augsburg, December 18, 1664 with a drawing of its path through the sky. This comet was seen every night across Europe between 14th and 24th December 1664, reaching its perigree on December 18th (December 28th by the Gregorian calendar). The comet was one of the brightest of the time and reported by many including Samuel Pepys, Samuel Danforth, Giovanni Borelli, Robert Hooke, and John Dryden. It was seen again in January 1665, and was last seen in March 1665. The bird represents the constellation of Corvus (the raven). Modern astronomers have designated the 1664-5 comet as C/1664 W1.