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Paris Manuscript F — 69

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Bibliothèque de l'Institut de France, Paris

Corpi e raggi luminosi:

Tal proporzione hanno li spazi che sono in fra li simulacri delle stelle sopra la superfizie dell'occhio, qual hanno in fra loro li spazi interposti in fra le stelle del cielo.

Be[n]ché i simulacri delle stelle sien tutti per tutta la superfizie dell'occhio e tutti1 in ogni parte di quella e che ciascun simulacro è soprapposto a ciascun delli altri simulacri, come pare a un altro occhio che lo sguarda, a uso di superfizie di specchio, non resta però che dal lato dentro della popilla chi le occupa di fori l'avvenimento d'un simulacro d'una stella, esso simulacro non si volterà a impriemersi in altra parte dell'occhio, ma rimarrà sanza impressione in esso occhio, perché il sito dove si dirizzava è impedito per la detta interposizione2.

Simulacro visto da due osservatori, con:

d - b a - c - e

Non vede il senso il simulacro dell'obbietto nel medesimo sito nella superfizie dell'occhio che 'l vede l'occhio del riguardatore d'esso simulacro.

Il senso b vede il simulacro dell'obbietto a nel sito d, e l'occhio d'un altro, di tal simulacro risguardatore, posto in e, vede il medesimo simulac[r]o 'n un altro sito, cioè nel sito c, come per la settima del secondo si prova.

Bodies and rays of light:

Such proportion have the spaces which are between the images of the stars upon the surface of the eye, as have between themselves the spaces interposed between the stars of the sky.

Although the images of the stars are all over the whole surface of the eye, and all of them in every part of it, and although each image is superimposed upon each of the others—as it appears to another eye that looks at it, in the manner of a mirror surface—nevertheless it does not follow that, on the inner side of the pupil, that which from outside occupies the arrival of a star's image will keep that image from turning to imprint itself in another part of the eye; rather it will remain without impression in that eye, because the place toward which it was directed is impeded by the said interposition.

Image seen by two observers, with:

d - b a - c - e

The sense does not see the image of the object at the same site on the surface of the eye where the eye of the beholder of that image sees it.

The sense b sees the image of the object a at the site d, and the eye of another, a beholder of that image, placed at e, sees the same image at another site, that is at the site c, as is proved by the seventh of the second.

How the images of stars crowd upon the surface of the eye

The spacing of star-images mirrors the spacing of the stars, and two eyes place one image differently

Optics & Light Astronomy

Leonardo proposes that the spaces between the images (simulacra) of the stars on the eye's surface keep the same proportion as the spaces between the stars themselves in the sky. Although each star's image lies across the whole surface of the eye and is superimposed on all the others, as if on a mirror, an image directed toward a place already occupied cannot imprint itself there and remains without impression. A second demonstration shows that two eyes place the same image at different sites: sense b sees the image of object a at site d, while another eye at e sees the same image at site c. A small instrument sketch appears at upper right and a lettered eye diagram (d, b, a, c, e) at lower right.

On this page

Star-images spread over and superimposed on the eye's surface

The spaces between star-images on the eye's surface hold the same proportion as the spaces between the stars in the sky. Each image lies across the whole surface and is superimposed on the others as on a mirror; but an image arriving at a place already occupied cannot imprint itself and remains without impression because its intended site is impeded.

Two eyes place the same image at different sites (b→d, e→c)

The sense does not see the image of an object at the same site on the eye's surface where a beholder's eye sees it. Sense b sees the image of object a at site d, while another eye placed at e sees that same image at another site, namely c, as proved by the seventh of the second.

Reader's Edition — described with AI from the e-Leo transcription.