[First Edition Copernicus's Heliocentric Masterpiece] Nicolai Copernici Torinensis de revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri VI
Published by Nicolaus Copernicus, 1543
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Barry Lawrence Ruderman, La Jolla, CA, U.S.A.Barry Lawrence Ruderman
AbeBooks seller since August 31, 2022
Condition: Used
£ 212,511.14
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
First Edition of Copernicus's Heliocentric Masterpiece, Published in Nuremberg in 1543 One of the Three Most Important Early Scientific Books (Dibner) "Probably the most important scientific publication of the sixteenth. Quarto. Recent full period-style polished dark brown calf. Covers ruled in blind with a double-panel design, the inner panel with gilt foliate corner pieces and a large gilt arabesque centerpiece composed of floral tools. Spine with raised bands, with small gilt star decoration to each compartment. Leaves toned but clean overall. Occasional faint marginalia. a2-a3 remargined at foredge. Closed marginal tear foredge of a4 (one of the facsimile leaves). 15 leaves in expert facsimile on period laid paper: pi1-6, a1, [errata leaf with repeat title on recto], a4-b1, X1-X4, 2C4. [pi]6 (+1), a-z4, A-2C4. [8], 196 numbered leaves. First Edition of Copernicus's Heliocentric Masterpiece, Published in Nuremberg in 1543One of the Three Most Important Early Scientific Books (Dibner)"Probably the most important scientific publication of the sixteenth century" (Horblit)Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium coelestium stands as the foundational text of modern science, dismantling the geocentric cosmos that had governed Western astronomy since antiquity. At the center of its theoretical framework is the iconographic woodcut diagram on folio c1v, depicting the Sun (Sol) stationary at the cosmic center. Concentric spheres surround the solar center, carrying Mercury, Venus, Earth with its lunar epicycle ("Telluris cum orbe lunari"), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, all enclosed within the immovable outer sphere of fixed stars ("Stellarum fixarum sphaera immobilis"). By placing the Earth in motion around the Sun, Copernicus provided a unified physical explanation for celestial phenomena that Ptolemy's geocentric system could accommodate only through cumbersome geometrical constructions.The earliest of the three books of science that most clarified the relationship of man and his universe (along with Newton's Principia and Darwin's Origin of Species) - Dibner.The Structural Framework of the Six BooksThe work is organized into six books that systematically re-evaluate the solar system. Book I presents the heliocentric theory and establishes the Earth's three distinct motions: its daily axial rotation, annual orbital revolution around the Sun, and conical precession of its axis. Book II develops the mathematical principles of spherical astronomy and provides a catalog of fixed stars. Book III treats the precession of the equinoxes and Earth's orbital geometry. Book IV presents Copernicus's revised lunar theory, replacing Ptolemy's exaggerated variation in lunar distance with a dual epicycle model. Books V and VI dedicate exhaustive mathematical modeling to the orbital longitudes and latitudinal deviations of the five planets.Dissatisfied with the Ptolemaic equant point, which violated the classical principle of uniform circular motion, Copernicus sought to restore geometrical consistency to celestial mechanics. By shifting the observational perspective to a moving Earth, he demonstrated that planetary retrogradation and variations in brightness were direct optical consequences of Earth's orbital progress. As Earth passes an outer planet like Mars or Jupiter, that planet appears to move backward against the background of fixed stars, eliminating Ptolemy's large epicycles.Osiander's Interpolation and the Nuremberg PrintingThe publication history of De revolutionibus is among the most celebrated episodes in scientific printing. Copernicus developed his heliocentric theory in his manuscript Commentariolus around 1510 to 1512, spending three decades refining.…
Seller Inventory # 123632
Bibliographic details
- Title
- [First Edition Copernicus's Heliocentric Masterpiece] Nicolai Copernici Torinensis de revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri VI
- Author
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Publisher
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Publication year
- 1543
- Condition
- see_description
- Book Type
- Book
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Seller catalogs
- Antique Maps
Barry Lawrence Ruderman
La Jolla, CA, U.S.A.
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 10.88 | £ 12.57 |
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Store description
Barry Lawrence Ruderman is a specialist dealer in rare and important works on paper from the 15th century to the present. Today, our focus extends from the firm’s traditional core specialty in historical cartography, now encompassing a wide range of rare books, Americana (with particular strengths in Western Americana, Texana, and the American Revolution), early photography, old master prints, and significant manuscripts. Our clients include many of the most important public and private collections active today.…
Specialty
etc., Archives, Americana, Exploration, AtlasesAssociation member
Seller's business information
Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps, Inc.
7407 La Jolla Boulevard
La Jolla, CA U.S.A. 92037
Terms of sale
Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps, Inc.
7407 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA, U.S.A. 92037
ac@raremaps.com
1.858.551.8500
California Tax ID: 33-0844350
Contact: Alex Clausen, President
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