Galileo 2

[Wilbur]

I've gone through the next group of lines up to the second diagram. I have some questions.

Here is my translation of Orientalior atque .... sollicicus fui;

"The eastern ones and western one, were appearing a little greater (in brightness) than the rest (of the stars),
I was not disturbed/concerned about the distance between them and Jupiter;"
Questions: a) is minime in the right place? and b) sollicicus must be sollicitus?

and 5 lines later, nocte viciniores, which I take to mean the "earlier night", as it is now Jan 8; but I don't why is viciniores plural?

And I love the interjected phrase, nescio quo Fato ductos!

Thanks any advice.

Wilbur

[Shenoute]

The eastern ones and western one, were appearing a little greater (in brightness) than the rest (of the stars),

Orientalior is singular, "the easternmost [star]".
Reliqua is ablative singular here, "than the remaining [star]".

As you mention viciniores is plural so it cannot qualify nocte:
viciniores quam superiori nocte > "...closer than [they were] the night before".

The text for reference:

ex parte scilicet orientali duê aderant Stellê, una vero occasum versus. Orientalior atque occidentalis, reliqua paulo maiores apparebant: de distantia inter ipsas et Iovem minime sollicitus fui; fixê enim, uti diximus primo, creditê fuerunt. Cum autem die octava, nescio quo fato ductus, ad inspectionem eandem reversus essem, longe aliam constitutionem reperi: erant enim tres Stellulê occidentales omnes, a Iove atque inter se, quam superiori nocte, viciniores, paribusque interstitiis mutuo disseparatê, veluti apposita prêsefert delineatio

[Wilbur]

Thanks, Shenoute,

I should have recognized orientalior, but reliqua fooled me.
Regarding viciniores , the word order is still giving me headaches.

I am convinced I'll get better at this!

[Hylander]

My translation:

Specifically, there were two stars on the eastern side, but one towards the sunset. The one further east and the western one appeared to be a little larger than the other one. I had been little concerned about the distance between themselves and from Jupiter, for, as I said, at first they were thought to be fixed stars. But when on Jan. 8. led on by some destiny, I had returned to the same observation, I found their configuration far different. For the three little stars were all on the western side, closer to Jupiter and among themselves than the previous night (i.e. Jan 1), and separated by equal intervals among themselves, as the appended diagram shows.

[Wilbur]

Thank you, Hylander.

Also, I put the snips of Jupiter in the post about the Use of the Colon.