1603 in science

The year 1603 in science and technology involved some significant events.

Astronomy

 * Johann Bayer publishes the star atlas Uranometria, the first to cover the entire celestial sphere, and introducing a new system of star designation which becomes known as the Bayer designation.
 * Dutch explorer Frederick de Houtman publishes his observations of the southern hemisphere constellations.

Exploration

 * Acadia, the French colony in North America, is founded.

Mathematics

 * Pietro Cataldi finds the sixth and seventh perfect numbers.

Medicine

 * Girolamo Fabrici studies leg veins and notices that they have valves which only allow blood to flow toward the heart.

Institutions

 * August 17 – Accademia dei Lincei, the oldest scientific academy in the world, is founded in Rome by Federico Cesi.

Births

 * September 15 – John Jonston, Polish naturalist and physician (died 1675)
 * Blaise Francois Pagan, French military engineer (died 1665)
 * Abel Tasman, Dutch explorer (died 1659)

Deaths

 * February 23 – François Viète, French mathematician (born 1540)
 * Robert Alaine, English astronomer (born 1558)