Nebulae and Galaxies.
New York: Thomas Crowell, 1964. Numerous illustrations. 264pp., 8vo, cloth, d.w. New York: Thomas Crowell, (1964). Very good.
ASTRONOMY
The History of Astronomy.
London: Abelard-Schuman, 1952. Translated by Betty Burr Abetti. 41 Illustrations. 8vo, blue cloth, d.w. London: Abelard-Schuman, (1952). Very good.
The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral
New York: Morrow, 1976. 8vo, cloth backed boards, d.w. New York: Morrow, 1976. First Edition. Fine. Her first book. Scientifically accurate poems about the solar system, written while the author was a student at Cornell. Astronomer Carl Sagan served as a technical adviser for the book, and the dedicatory poem is to him. Review copy. Presentation, signed by Ackerman on the half-title. Scarce.
An Oration Delivered Before the Cincinnati Astronomical Society, on the Occasion of Laying the Corner Stone of An Astronomical Obervatory
Cincinnati: Shepard, 1843. 72 pages, thin 8vo, lacks paper wrappers; scattered foxing throughout, creasing and folds to first 10 pages--foxing, folding, and wear most notable to title page. Cincinnati: Printed by Shepard & Co., 1843. Text is mostly clean and bright, a very good(-) copy.
The Measure of All Things; The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error that Transformed the Earth.
Color Frontis., b/w illus. 422pp. 8vo, cloth, d.w. N.Y.: Free Press, (2002). vg Pierre Mechain and Jean Delambre's experiments to measure the distance between the North pole and the equator.
Collection of 12 Almanacs, bound in one volume, all from the year 1772, being the Bissextile or Leap-Year.
London: Various, 1772. Rubricated text throughout. Illustrated with many charts and some woodcut diagrams. Thick 12mo, contemporary red calf, gilt, leather label, a.e.g. London: various publishers, , for The Company of Stationers, 1772. First editions. An interesting collection in a very good(+) attractive period binding Titles include: Remarkable News from the Stars; The Gentleman's Diary & Mathematical Repository; The Ladies' Diary; Vox Stellarum; Merlinus Liberatus; Parker's Ephemeris; The Coelestial Diary; Poor Robin; The English Apollo; Speculum Anni; Olympia Domata; The...
Astronomie Populaire par Francois. VOLUME THREE ONLY
Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1856. VOLUME THREE ONLY. Illustrated. 635pp., 8vo, 1/2 leather over marbled boards; scattered light foxing, covers rubbed with wear at the corners and spine ends. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1856. A very good copy.
Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos or Quadripartite Being Four Books of the Influence of the Stars; Newly Translated From the Greek Paraphrase of Proculus With a Preface, Explanatory Notes and an Appendix Containing
Chicago: Aries, 1944. Illustrated with a few tables and charts. xxiv + 164pp., 8vo, blue cloth; rubbed at extremities; small ink stamp front free endpaper. Chicago: The Aries Press, 1944. Internally fine, a very good (+) copy.
Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, or Quadripartite: Being Four Boks of the Influence of the Stars. Newly Translated From the Greek Paraphrase of Proclus. With a Preface, Explanatory Notes, and An Appendix, Containing Extracts From the Almagest of Ptolemy, and Whole of His Centiloquy; together with A SHort Notice of Mr. Ranger's Zodiacal Planisphere
London: Davis and Dickson, 1822. Tables and text illustrations. xxvii + 240 pages. 8vo, plain paper wrappers; quite chipped; extensive penciling, front endpaper and one tipped in page filled with penciled notes. London: Davis and Dickson, 1822. A good only copy.
The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science.
New York: Basic Books, 1960. Illustrated. 2 volumes. Tall thick 8vo, blue cloth, spines evenly faded else near fine. New York: Basic Books Inc., (1960). Very good. Vol. 1: The Physical Sciences Vol. 2: The Biological Sciences.
Conversing with the Planets: How Science and Myth Invented the Cosmos.
New York: Times Books, 1992. 255pp. 8vo, cloth-backed boards, d.w. New York: Times Books, (1992). Fine.
When the Stars Come Out.
New York: Viking, 1934. Illustrated. 188 pages, 8vo, cloth. New York: Viking, 1934. Very good.
The Artful Universe
Oxford: Clarendon, 1995. A few images, some in color. 274pp. 8vo, blue board, d.w. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995. Near fine copy in near fine d.w.
Histoire des Causes premieres, Ou Exposition Sommaire des Pensees des Philosophes sure le Principes des Etres
Paris: Saillant, 1769. Several engraved devices. xx + 452pp., 8vo, full mottled leather with gilt lining and decorated spine, marbled edges; corners bumped, minor damage to rear cover Paris: Chez Saillant, 1769. Internally clean and bright, a very good copy.
The Divided Circle: A History of Instruments for Astronomy, Navigation and Surveying
Oxford: Phaidon, 1987. 260 illustrations, including 16 in color. 224 pages, 4to, blue cloth, d.w. London: Phaidon & Christie's Limited, (1987). First edition. A fine copy in a near fine dust wrapper.
Practice of Navigation and Nautical Astronomy
North Shields: Potts, 1883. Some illustrations, folding table. xv + 393pp. plus hundreds of pages of appendix, tables and index. Thick 8vo, full spotted leather; heavy foxing to endpapers and title page, hinges mended, covers worn and dampstained. North Shields: J. W. Potts, ca. 1883. Seventh edition. A worn but sound and very good copy.
Autograph Letter Signed
Lilienthal: 1807. Important A.L.S. "J.W. Bessel", 8vo. 2 pages, Lilienthal, December 10th 1807, in German, writing to fellow astronomer Carl Ludwig Harding who discovered Juno (a moon of Jupiter), concerning observational reports on Comet orbits that he is comparing with those reported by Olbers, which are included in this letter. He thanks Harding for sending along his map of comet Orbis and adds that observations of "their" comets are enclosed. Bessel stresses the point that the observations made with the...
U, Urania from A' Dilettanti delle Bell' Arti
Florence: 1779. Engraving. Image size 7.25 x 7.75 inches. Sheet size 9 x 11.5 inches. The letter U, Urania, from A Dilettanti delle Bell' Arti, a decorated alphabet book. Depicts Urania, the muse of astronomy. In very good condition. Shows some light staining. Stitching holes at left edge. Numeral 24 in pencil at right top corner. The first edition of an inventive and rare engraved alphabet book in which each floridly elaborate letter stands independently in a landscape where it...
The Astronomer's Universe.
Melbourne: Melbourne University, 1959. 107pp., Illustrated. Thin 8vo, cloth, d.w.; d.w. chipped. Melbourne UP, (1959). Very good.
The Milky Way.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1957. Profusely illustrated, folding chart. Square 4to, cloth, d.w. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1957. Very good.
The Mystery of the Expanding Universe.
New York: Macmillan, 1964. Illustrated. Grey cloth, d.w. New York: Macmillan, (1964). Very good.
The High Road.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981. 289pp. 8vo, cloth, d.w.; dust wrapper edgeworn. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981. Very good. Signed by the author.
In Quest of Quasars: An Introduction to Stars and Starlike Objects.
London: Crowell-Collier, 1969. Illustrated. 8vo, cloth, d.w. London: Crowell-Collier, (1969). Very good.
John A. Brashear: The Autobiography of a Man who Loved the Stars
New York: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1924. Edited by Lucien Scaife. Frontispiece portrait, illustrated in black and white. 262 pages (some very minimal foxing), 8vo, green cloth (some light scratches to back cover). A very good(+) copy. "Dr. Brashear... is recognized as one of the most notable makers of optical lenses and surfaces..." Publisher's presentation slip tipped in and letter laid in to Mr. Edward Dean Adams.
Le Sejour de Christian Huygens a Paris et ses Relations avec Milieux Scientifiques francais, suivi de son Journal de Voyage a Paris et a Londres
Paris: Droz, 1935. 200p. + addenda & errata. 8vo, printed wrappers, uncut. Paris Droz, 1935. The wrappers are lightly rubbed & toned.