Editing 1631 in science

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The year '''1631 in [[science]]''' and [[technology]] involved some significant events.

==Astronomy==
* November 7 – Using [[Kepler]]'s predictions of planetary transits made in [[1630 in science|1630]], [[Pierre Gassendi]] makes the first recorded observation of the [[transit of Mercury]]. The observed size of [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]]'s disc is significantly smaller than had been expected from [[Ptolemaic theory]].

==Geology==
* December 16 – [[Volcanic eruption]] of [[Mount Vesuvius]] for the only time this century.

==Mathematics==
* [[William Oughtred]] publishes ''Clavis Mathematicae'', introducing the [[multiplication sign]] (×) and proportion sign (::).<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of Mathematics|authorlink=Florian Cajori|first=Florian|last=Cajori|year=1919|publisher=Macmillan|url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorymathema02cajogoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/ahistorymathema02cajogoog/page/n169 157]|quote=cajori william-oughtred multiplication.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Helena Mary|last=Pycior|authorlink=Helena Pycior|title=Symbols, Impossible Numbers, and Geometric Entanglements: British Algebra through the Commentaries on Newton's Universal Arithmetick|year=1997|page=48|isbn=0-521-48124-4}}</ref>
* Some of [[Thomas Harriot]]'s writings on [[algebra]] are published posthumously as ''Artis Analyticae Praxis''.

==Technology==
* Earliest known bentside [[spinet]], made by Hieronymus de Zentis.<ref>[[Frank Hubbard|Hubbard, Frank]] (1967).</ref>

==Births==
* ''approx. date''
** [[William Ball (astronomer)|William Ball]], [[English people|English]] [[astronomer]] (died [[1690 in science|1690]])
** [[Richard Lower (physician)|Richard Lower]], English [[physician]], performs first direct [[blood transfusion]] (died [[1691 in science|1691]])

==Deaths==
* October 20 – [[Michael Maestlin]], [[German people|German]] astronomer and [[mathematician]] (born [[1550 in science|1550]])
* October 26 – [[Catherine de Parthenay]], [[French people|French]] noblewoman and mathematician (b. [[1554 in science|1554]])
* December 10 – Sir [[Hugh Myddelton]], [[Wales|Welsh]]-born [[goldsmith]] and [[hydraulic engineer]] (born c. [[1560 in science|1560]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:1631 in science| ]]
[[Category:17th century in science]]
[[Category:1630s in science]]