Recueil d'Observations faites en plusieurs Voyages par Ordre de sa Majest‹. Pour Perfectionner l'Astronomie et la Georgraphie. Avec divers Traitez Astronomiques.
This handsome volume, published by the Royal Academy of Sciences, Paris, in 1693, contains nine first edition texts by four well-respected scientists of the day, Cassini, Richer, Picard and La Hire. This book may be requested in Special Collections QB41 .A16 1693.
De Magnitudinibus, et Distantiis Solis, et Lunae, Liber cum Pappi Alexandrini explicationibus quibusdam, by Aristarchus of Samos.
This is the first edition (1572) of Federico Commandino’s translation of the first treatise to put forward the heliocentric hypothesis. Aristarchus (ca.310-230 B.C.) reconciled the apparent immobility of the fixed stars with the revolution of the earth around the sun, by determining, through his trigonometrical ratios, that the size of the universe was much larger than that conceived by his predecessors. This book may be requested in Special Collections PA3874.A48 A2 1572.The purchase of these books was made possible by the Friends of the Library.
Pictured above: Detail of a diagram from De Magnitudinibus, et Distantiis Solis, et Lunae, Liber cum Pappi Alexandrini explicationibus quibusdam.
