igne ▁asking ▁if ▁he ▁might ▁obtain ▁such ▁instruments ▁and ▁also ▁wrote ▁to ▁his ▁friend ▁Jer em iah ▁Hor ro cks ▁about ▁them . ▁He ▁wrote ▁again ▁to ▁Gas co igne ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁December ▁ 1 6 4 0 ▁saying , ▁My ▁friend ▁Mr . ▁Hor ro x ▁profess eth ▁that ▁little ▁touch ▁which ▁I ▁gave ▁him ▁hath ▁rav ished ▁his ▁mind ▁quite ▁from ▁itself ▁and ▁left ▁him ▁in ▁an ▁Ex st as ie ▁between ▁Admir ation ▁and ▁Ama z ement . ▁I ▁b ese ech ▁you ▁Sir , ▁s lack ▁not ▁your ▁Intent ions ▁for ▁the ▁Per fection ▁of ▁your ▁begun ▁W onders . ▁ ▁Sad ly , ▁Hor ro cks ▁died ▁before ▁he ▁could ▁try ▁out ▁the ▁instruments , ▁but ▁Cra bt ree ▁and ▁Gas co igne ▁did ▁use ▁them ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁cor ro bor ate ▁Hor ro cks ' s ▁theories ▁about ▁the ▁elli pt ical ▁orbit ▁of ▁the ▁Moon . ▁ ▁This ▁in vention ▁was ▁later ▁taken ▁up ▁and ▁improved ▁by ▁the ▁scient ist ▁and ▁astronom er ▁Richard ▁Tow ne ley ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁nep hew ▁of ▁Gas co igne ' s ▁friend ▁Christopher ▁Tow ne ley . ▁Tow ne ley ▁later ▁brought ▁the ▁instrument ▁to ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁Robert ▁H oo ke , ▁who ▁used ▁it ▁to ▁calculate ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁com ets ▁and ▁other ▁cel est ial ▁bodies . ▁The ▁mic rom eter , ▁as ▁it ▁became ▁known , ▁was ▁to ▁lie ▁at ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁astronom ical ▁measurement ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁tw enti eth