1586 in science

The year 1586 in science and technology included a number of events, some of which are listed here.

Astronomy

 * The last time Mercury and Venus transit the sun at the same time.

Botany

 * Jacques Daléchamps publishes Historia generalis plantarum in Lyon, describing 2,731 plants, a record number for this time.

Cryptography

 * Blaise de Vigenère publishes Traicté des chiffres ou secretes manières d'escrire in Paris, describing an autokey cipher of his invention.

Exploration

 * July 21 – Thomas Cavendish sets out from Plymouth in the Desire on the first deliberately planned circumnavigation.

Mathematics

 * Francesco Barozzi publishes Admirandum illud geometricum problema tredecim modis demonstratum quod docet duas lineas in eodem plano designare, a treatise on the construction of parallel lines.

Medicine

 * Timothy Bright publishes A Treatise of Melancholie; containing the causes thereof, & reasons of the strange effects it worketh in our minds and bodies: with the phisicke cure, and spirituall consolation... in London.

Physics

 * Galileo publishes La Billancetta, describing an accurate balance to weigh objects in air or water.
 * Simon Stevin publishes De Beghinselen der Weeghconst in Leiden, discussing static forces; and De Beghinselen des Waterwichts, discussing the weight of water.

Births

 * February 26 – Niccolò Cabeo, Italian polymath (died 1650)
 * December 6 – Niccolò Zucchi, Italian astronomer (died 1670)
 * John Mason, English explorer (died 1635)
 * Giovanni de Galliano Pieroni, Italian military engineer and astronomer (died 1654)
 * approx. date – Guy de La Brosse, French physician and botanist (died 1641)

Deaths

 * January 9 – Paul Wittich, German astronomer and mathematician (born c. 1546)
 * January 22 - Louis Duret, French physician (born 1527)
 * May 29 – Adam Lonicer, German botanist (born 1528)
 * June 1 − Martín de Azpilcueta, Spanish theologian and economist (born 1491)
 * October 19 – Ignazio Danti, Italian mathematician and astronomer (born 1536)