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1686 in science

The year 1686 in science and technology included many events, some of which are listed here.

See also: 1685 in science, other events of 1686, 1687 in science and the list of years in science.

Astronomy

• Gottfried Kirch notices that Chi Cygni's brightness varies.

Geology

• Edmund Halley establishes the relationship between barometric pressure and height above sea level.

Meteorology

• Edmund Halley presents a systematic study of the trade winds and monsoons and identifies solar heating as the cause of atmospheric motions.

Physics

• Isaac Newton uses a fixed length pendulum with weights of varying composition to test the weak equivalence principle to 1 part in 1000

Births

• May 24 - Gabriel Fahrenheit, physicist, inventor (died 1736)

Deaths

• Nicolas Steno: pioneer in early-modern geology (born 1638)