SCHEINER, Christoph.

Rosa Ursina sive Sol ex Admirando Facularum & Macularum suarum Phoenomeno varius...Libris quatuor...

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Engraved allegorical frontis., fine engraved port. of the Duke of Bracciano, engraved vignette on title, & very many finely engraved illus. in the text (some full-page) depicting the author's observations of sunspots and the telescopes used by him. 20 p.l. (incl. frontis.), 784 pp., one blank leaf, [36] pp. Large thick folio (390 x 267 mm.), cont. vellum over boards (some wear to extremities, joint cracked but strong, light browning & occasional minor marginal dampstaining). Bracciano: [Privately Printed by] A. Phaeus, 1626-30. First edition, and a remarkable large and thick paper copy, of Scheiner's greatest work; this magnificent book, which is today very rare on the market, is the most richly and superbly illustrated astronomy book published in the first half of the 17th century. It describes and depicts Scheiner's observations of sunspots and his telescopes and also illustrates his important moon map. We have never seen a large and thick paper copy of this book before; it is simply gigantic when compared to a normal copy (which usually measures about 348 x 240 mm.). In 1611, Scheiner constructed a telescope with which he began to make astronomical observations, and in March of that year, he detected the presence of spots on the sun. Scheiner's claim to the discovery of sun spots, independently of Galileo, was the origin of one of the most famous and heated controversies in the history of science. This book contains the summation of Scheiner's observations of the sun. He confirmed his method and criticized Galileo for failing to mention the inclination of the axis of rotation to the plane of the ecliptic. Of great importance is Scheiner's discovery of the helioscope, described here. This was the first Keplerian telescope in use, consisting of two convex lenses; it was also the first to use colored glass in the eyepiece. Kepler himself had only considered the telescope theoretically. Scheiner writes here that he had used the Keplerian telescope thirteen years before in the presence of the Archduke Maximilian. The quality of the engravings in this book is exceptional. There are many fine illustrations of the telescope and its parts, lenses, fittings, etc. Rosa Ursina was printed on the private press established by Paolo Jordano Orsini, Duke of Bracciano, a great patron of astronomy, at his castle at Bracciano. A very fine copy of a book which is very difficult to find. Old Jesuit library inscription on title dated 1637. Another inscription on title concealed. Cinti 79. D.S.B., XII, pp. 151-52. King, The History of the Telescope, pp. 40-45. Linda Hall Library, Jesuit Science in the Age of Galileo, 6.

• USD 75,000.00 > Andere Währungen
• Bestellnummer: HillBibl-516

• Antiquariat: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (USA)