Astronomicum Caesareum, 1540
by Peter Apian (1495-1552) and Michael Ostendorfer (ca. 1490-1559)
We own the facsimile edition published in 1967
Location: Special Collections Oversize QB41 A64 1540ab
"The Emperor's Astronomy" describes the mechanics of an earth-centered universe.
"This most sumptuous of all Renaissance instructive manuals explained the use of the astrolabe (for calculating the altitude of stars) and other instruments used for computing planetary positions. The author, court astronomer to Emperor Charles V, also provided new observations on the comet of 1531 (Halley's Comet). Only about forty copies of this work survive; very few still have the seed pearls that were originally attached to the string markers on each of the eighteen disks."
- Metropolitan Museum
The book contains many "volvelles," rotating paper wheels which demonstrate planetary motion and movements of the stars.
The original contains hand-colored woodcuts.
See Petrus Apianus in Wikipedia.
