What better time than bonfire/fireworks night, to learn that Falvey Memorial Library at Villanova University have opened up their newly acquired notebook to find Lovecraft drawings of a comet…

The latest manuscript added to Villanova University’s Distinctive Collections is the rare astronomical observation notebook by the noted horror author H.P. Lovecraft from the years 1909-1915. Observing from his Providence, Rhode Island home, Lovecraft noted, and then drew, various celestial phenomena including passing comets.

Slated for digitization in November and full transcription by a notable Lovecraft scholar soon after.

It’s interesting that the young Lovecraft took binoculars, presumably on his bicycle, to good observing spots way out toward Rehoboth. Given that he notes his location (not necessarily his house roof or adjacent ground) with some precision, one could presumably recreate these observational moments in full. This could be done via the free Stellarium software and its ‘time-and-place travel’ function, or similar. Although, the last time I looked, Stellarium doesn’t do comets in graphical form.