On January 28, 1611 - 404 years ago today - Johannes Hevelius was born in what's now the Polish city of Gdansk. He also died there on his 76th birthday.
Hevelius was the last great astronomical observer to produce a substantial body of work using naked-eye observation. The telescope had been invented during his career, but he refused to use it for measuring star positions. He agreed to a challenge from English scientist Robert Hooke on his accuracy, and Edmund Halley tested him. According to Halley, Hevelius's accuracy with his instruments – and with a telescope – was equal to that of a telescope.
Among his many accomplishments was a star atlas which his wife Elisabetha (also an astronomer) completed and published after his death. You can find out more here about
the life of Johannes Hevelius.