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On this day in 1711 – May 18th – astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, polymath and Jesuit priest, Roger Joseph Boscovich was born in Ragusa (Dubrovnik) in modern-day Croatia.

Boskovich wrote on a wide range of astronomical topics, including the Aurora Borealis, transits of Mercury, and the theory of the telescope. Among other accomplishments, he solved the problem of locating the Sun's equator, observed sunspots to determine the rotation period of the Sun, and discovered the absence of an atmosphere on the Moon.

Mona Evans
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