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Account of a Comet. - [THE DISCOVERY OF URANUS]
London, Lockyer Davis, and Peter Elmsly, 1782. 4to. In recent marbled paper wrappers. Extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"", vol. 71, read April 26, 1781. Including title-page of volume. Leaves reinforced in margin. (2), V-VII, 492-501 pp. + three folded plates.
![Account of a Comet. - [THE DISCOVERY OF URANUS]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/56995_1_thumb.jpg)
![Account of a Comet. - [THE DISCOVERY OF URANUS]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/56995_2_thumb.jpg)
![Account of a Comet. - [THE DISCOVERY OF URANUS]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/56995_3_thumb.jpg)
First edition of Herschel's seminal paper being the first recorded discovery of a new planet. Herschel's ""discovery [was] unprecedented in human history. [...] Herschel's ""new"" planet demonstrated that there is much more to the universe - even to our tiny solar system - than the eye can discern on its own."" (Lemonick, The Georgian Star).British astronomer William Herschel commenced ""his first review of the heavens, in which he examined stars down to the fourth magnitude. In August of that year he began a second review, more systematic and extensive than the first, and concentrated on the discovery of double stars"" (Dictionary of Scientific Biography)In March 1781, during his search for double stars, Herschel noticed an object appearing as a disk. Herschel originally thought it was a comet or a stellar disc, which he believed he might actually resolve. He reported the sighting to Nevil Maskelyne the Astronomer Royal. He made many more observations of it, and afterwards Russian Academician Anders Lexell computed the orbit and found it to be probably planetary. Herschel agreed, determining that it must be a planet beyond the orbit of Saturn. He called the new planet the ""Georgian star"" (Georgium sidus) after King George III, which also brought him favour"" the name did not hold. In France, where reference to the British king was to be avoided if possible, the planet was known as ""Herschel"" until the name ""Uranus"" was universally adopted. The same year, Herschel was awarded the Copley Medal and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1782, he was appointed ""The King's Astronomer"" (not to be confused with the Astronomer Royal). Dibner 13Sparrow 157Norman 1058.
Description of a Forty-Feet Reflecting Telescope. - [HERSCHEL'S FAMOUS 40-FOOT TELESCOPE]
London, Peter Elmsly, 1795. 4to. In recent marbled paper wrappers. Extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"". Including title-page of volume. Leaves reinforced in margin. Light offsetting from folded plates as usual. Plate depicting the full telescope with professional repair to lower right corner. (4), 347-410 pp. + 19 folded plates.
![Description of a Forty-Feet Reflecting Telescope. - [HERSCHEL'S FAMOUS 40-FOOT TELESCOPE]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/57071_1_thumb.jpg)
![Description of a Forty-Feet Reflecting Telescope. - [HERSCHEL'S FAMOUS 40-FOOT TELESCOPE]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/57071_2_thumb.jpg)
![Description of a Forty-Feet Reflecting Telescope. - [HERSCHEL'S FAMOUS 40-FOOT TELESCOPE]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/57071_3_thumb.jpg)
First appearance of William Herschel account of his great 40-foot telescope. It was the largest telescope in the world for 50 years and it was possibly used to discover Enceladus and Mimas, the 6th and 7th moons of Saturn. The plate of the 40-foot telescope fully assembled remains as one of the great icons of astronomy. ""It is well known that King George III granted £2,000 for the construction of the 40-foot reflector, and that this was supplemented by a further £2,000 plus other expenses. Only recently has it become evident that the second grant was made in the context of a serious row between monarch and astronomer. Herschel was of course in uncharted territory in attempting the construction of such a monster. The king had understood that the first £2,000 was the total required, and when this proved not to be the case he may well have suspected Herschel of deliberately underestimating the costs involved when making his original application. Although the king acceded-reluctantly-to the second request, from then on Herschel was required to account for every last penny of expenditure, and was told in no uncertain terms that no further grant would be forthcoming.The 40-foot reflector proved cumbersome and its results did not justify the labor and cost of its construction. What has only recently been appreciated is the extent to which it became a millstone around its creator's neck. From Herschel's point of view, it lost its principal raison d'être in 1790 when an observation with the 20-foot convinced him of the existence of ""true nebulosity."" But to the king it was an enduring symbol of his patronage of science, and visitors to Windsor Castle were invited to make the short journey to Slough to see the world's biggest telescope."" (DSB)
Descriptive Catalogue of a Collection of William Herschel Papers presented to the Royal Astronomical Society by the Late Sir W. J. Herschel, Bart. (Drawn up by J. L. E. Dreyer).
[No place], 1918. 8vo. In the original printed wrappers. Offprint from ""Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society"", Vol. LXXVIII, No. 8. Fine and clean. Pp. 547-554.
Offprint of a collection of William Herschel Papers presented to the Royal Astronomical Society
HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - INDICATION OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF NEWTON'S LAWS OF MOTION.
Reference : 42303
(1803)
Account of the Changes that have happened, during the last Twenty-five Years, in the relative Situation of Double-stars" with an Investigation of the Cause to which they are owing. Read June 9, 1803.
(London, Bulwer and Co., 1803). 4to. Without wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London."" Year 1803-Part II. Pp. 339-382 and 2 engraved plates.
First appearance of a fundamental paper in cosmology and physics as it contains the first observational data to support that Newton's dynamical laws holds outside the solar system. Herschel shows here that the circulating motions of double-stars were under gravitational forces. Until then the validity of the law of gravity was only established within the solar system. Now, a century after the establishment of the law, it was traced out in the motion of incredibly distant stars and the theory first truly earned its title of Universal. The exact proof of the mutual gravitation of the double-stars was only obtained five years after Herschel's death, when the motions of the stars were more precisely dtermined.One of the most notable of Herschel's discoveries of double-stars, binary stars. A first cataloque of such pairs was published early in 1782 and contained 269, of which 227 were new discoveries. ""Twenty years after the publication of his first cataloque Herschel was of Michell's opinion - Michell had expressed the opinion that the odds in favour of a physical relation between the members of herschel's newly discovered double stars were ""beyond arithmetic"" - but was able to support it by evidence of an entirely novel and much more direct character. A series of observations of Castor, presented in two papers in the ""Philosophical Transaction"" in 1803 (the paper offered here) and 1804, which were fortunately supplemented by an observation of Bradley's in 1759, had shewn a progressive alteration in the direction of the line joining its two components, of such a character as to leave no doubt that the two stars were revolving round one another"" and there were five oher cases in which a similar motion was observed...it was shown that the double-star was really formed by a connected pair of stars near enough to influence one another's mortion.""(Berry in ""A Short History of Astronomy"" pp. 342-43).
"HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - DETRONING THE SUN AS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.
Reference : 42938
(1805)
On the Direction and Velocity of the Motion of the Sun, and the Solar System. Read May 16, 1805.
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1805). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1805 - Part II. Pp. 233-256 a. 1 engraved plate, folded. Clean and fine.
First printing of an importent paper in cosmology in which Herschel's by analyzing a large number of stars, believed that he could explain the regularities he observed by assuming that the sun itself was moving toward a point in the consellation of Hercules. ""Just as Copernicus had detroned the earth as the motionless center of the universe, so Herschel detroned the sun.""(Asimov). - In this paper he tries to estimate the speed of the sun's motion.In a memoir published in 1783 Herschel had been occupied with the possibility that the sun was moving relative to the stars. ""More than 20 years later (1805, in the paper offered) Herschel took up the question again, using six of the brightest stars in a collection of the proper motions of 36 published by Maskelyne in 1790, which were much more reliable than any earlier ones, and employing more elaborate processes of calculation" again the apex was placed in the constellation of Hercules, though at a distance of nearly 30 degr. from the position given in 1783. Herschel's results were avowedly to a large extent speculative and were received by contemporary astronomers with a large measure of distrust" but a number of far more elaborate modern investigations of the same subject have confirmed the general correctness of his work.""(Berry ""A Short History of Astronomy"", p. 346.).
HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - INDICATION OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF NEWTON'S LAWS OF MOTION - BINARY STARS.
Reference : 45133
(1803)
Account of the Changes that have happened, during the last Twenty-five Years, in the relative Situation of Double-stars" with an Investigation of the Cause to which they are owing. Read June 9, 1803. (+) Continuation of an Account ofthe Changes that h...
(London, Bulwer and Co., 1803 a. 1804). 4to. Without wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London."" Year 1803-Part II. Pp. 339-382 and 2 engraved plates. a. Year 1804-Part II. Pp. 353-384 a. 1 engraved plate. Light browning to a few margins. 2 plates with scattered brownspots, otherwise clean and wide-margined.
First appearance of these fundamental paper in cosmology and physics as they contains the FIRST OBSERVATIONAL DATA TO SUPPORT THAT NEWTON'S DYNAMICAL LAWS HOLDS OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM. Herschel shows here that the circulating motions of double-stars were under gravitational forces. Until then the validity of the law of gravity was only established within the solar system. Now, a century after the establishment of the law, it was traced out in the motion of incredibly distant stars and the theory first truly earned its title of Universal. The exact proof of the mutual gravitation of the double-stars was only obtained five years after Herschel's death, when the motions of the stars were more precisely dtermined.One of the most notable of Herschel's discoveries of double-stars, binary stars. A first cataloque of such pairs was published early in 1782 and contained 269, of which 227 were new discoveries. ""Twenty years after the publication of his first cataloque Herschel was of Michell's opinion - Michell had expressed the opinion that the odds in favour of a physical relation between the members of Herschel's newly discovered double stars were ""beyond arithmetic"" - but was able to support it by evidence of an entirely novel and much more direct character. A series of observations of Castor, presented in two papers in the ""Philosophical Transaction"" in 1803 and 1804 (the paperS offered ), which were fortunately supplemented by an observation of Bradley's in 1759, had shewn a progressive alteration in the direction of the line joining its two components, of such a character as to leave no doubt that the two stars were revolving round one another"" and there were five oher cases in which a similar motion was observed...it was shown that the double-star was really formed by a connected pair of stars near enough to influence one another's mortion.""(Berry in ""A Short History of Astronomy"" pp. 342-43).
"HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - DETRONING THE SUN AS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.
Reference : 45882
(1805)
On the Direction and Velocity of the Motion of the Sun, and the Solar System. Read May 16, 1805.
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1805). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1805 - Part II. Pp. 233-256 a. 1 engraved plate, folded. Clean and fine.
First printing of an importent paper in cosmology in which Herschel's by analyzing a large number of stars, believed that he could explain the regularities he observed by assuming that the sun itself was moving toward a point in the consellation of Hercules. ""Just as Copernicus had detroned the earth as the motionless center of the universe, so Herschel detroned the sun.""(Asimov). - In this paper he tries to estimate the speed of the sun's motion.In a memoir published in 1783 Herschel had been occupied with the possibility that the sun was moving relative to the stars. ""More than 20 years later (1805, in the paper offered) Herschel took up the question again, using six of the brightest stars in a collection of the proper motions of 36 published by Maskelyne in 1790, which were much more reliable than any earlier ones, and employing more elaborate processes of calculation" again the apex was placed in the constellation of Hercules, though at a distance of nearly 30 degr. from the position given in 1783. Herschel's results were avowedly to a large extent speculative and were received by contemporary astronomers with a large measure of distrust" but a number of far more elaborate modern investigations of the same subject have confirmed the general correctness of his work.""(Berry ""A Short History of Astronomy"", p. 346.).
William Herschel's Observations of Variable Stars and Stars Suspected of Variability.
[No place], 1918. 8vo. In the original printed wrappers. Offprint from ""Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society"", Vol. LXXVIII, No. 8. Fine and clean. Pp. (2), 555-568.
Offprint of a catalogue of astronomer William Herschel's abservations from May 12, 1783 to May 27, 1796.
William HERSCHEL and his work -- EDITION ORIGINALE
New York, Scribner, 1900, un volume in 8 relié en pleine toile éditeur, (dos passé), 6pp., (1), 265pp.
---- EDITION ORIGINALE ---- BON EXEMPLAIRE ---- The family - The education - In England - The discovery of HERSCHEL - The discovery of URANUS - Endowment of research - The great telescope - The construction of the heavens - The sun - Planets and comets - HERSCHEL'S english home - Double stars and nebulae - The survivor**8914/L5DEP
Observations of a second Comet, with Remarks on its Construction. Read March 12, 1812.
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1812). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1812 - Part II. Pp. 229-237. Clean and fine.
First printing of Herschel's observations on the second comets, observed from January 1 to January 20, 1812. Another paper is printed together with Herschel's paper, William Henry: ""Additional Experiments on the Muriatic and Oxymuriatic Acids."", pp. 238-246.
Observations on the Nature of the new celestial Body discovered by Dr. Olbers, and of the Comet which was expected to appear last January in its return from the Sun.
(London, Bulwer and Co., 1807). Large 4to. Without wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London."" Year 1806-Part I. Pp. 260-266 a. 1 engraved plate.
In the paper Herschel estimates the size of Vesta which was discovered a few month before by Olbers. Together with Ceres, Pallas and Juno, he names this new heavenly bodies, asteroids. Together with Herschel's paper comes William Hasledine Pepys ""A new Eudiometer, acccompanied with Experiments, elucidating its Application"", pp. 247-259 a. 1 engraved plate.
Untersuchungen über die wärmende und die erleuchtende Kraft der farbigen Sonnenstrahlen Versuch über die nichht-sichbaren Strahlen der Sonne und deren Brechbarkeit" und Einrichtung grosser Teleskope zu Sonnenbeobachtungen.
Halle, Rengerschen Buchhandlung, 1801. Without wrappers as published in ""Annalen der Physik. Herausgegeben von Ludwig Wilhelm Gilbert"", Bd. 7, Zweites Stück. The entire issue offered (=Heft 2). Pp. 137-264 a. 2 folded engraved plates. Herschels papers: pp. 137-156. The plate depicts Herschel's experimental arrangements.
First appearance in German of Herschel's epochal announcement of his discovery of infrared light in 1800. This was the first time that a form of light beyond visible light had been detected. The paper offered is the German translation of the main parts of Herschel's paper ""An Investigation of the Powers of Prismatic Colours to Heat and Illuminate Objects"".""In 1800 he tested various portions of the sun's spectrum by thermometer to see if he could find interesting differences in the amount of heat the different colors delivered. He did, but in a rather unexpected way, for he found that the temperature rise was highest in no color at all, at a spot beyond the red end of the spectrum. He concluded that the sunlight contained invisible light beyond the red. This is now called infrared radiation. The following year Ritter was to extend the visible spectrum in the other direction.""(Asimov).Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"" 1800 P.
"HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - THE BASIS OF INTERFEROMETRIC IMAGING IN ASTRONOMY.
Reference : 42389
(1805)
Experiments for ascertaining how far Telescopes will enable us to determine very small Angles, and to distinguish the real from the spurious Diameters of celestial and terrestrial Objects: with an Application of the Result ofthese Experiments to a ser...
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1805). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1805 - Part I. Pp. 31-64 and 1 engraved plate. Clean and fine.
First appearance of an importent paper, founding the metric of interstellar space.It was the contemporous discoveries of the first minor planets, ceres in 1801, Pallas in 1802 and Juno in 1803, that prompted Herschel to investigate the origin of the spurious diameters of stars. ""Were their apparent diameters as real as those of planets or spurious as for stars? To address this question Herschel conducted an extensive series of experiments in his garden in Slough, examining through his telescope small globules of differing sizes and materials placed in a tree some 800 ft (ca. 244 m) away (Herschel 1805). His observations showed that for the smallest globules the diameters were all spurious and all of the same size. Furthermore, he found that, if just the inner part of the aperture of the telescope were used, the spurious diameters, whether of globules or of stars, were larger. If the whole aperture was employed, the diameters were smaller, and if only an outer annular aperture was used the diameters were smaller still. This experimental discovery that unfilled apertures can be used to obtain high angular resolution remains today the essential basis for interferometric imaging in astronomy (in particular Aperture Masking Interferometry). The theoretical justification of this result came with Airy's analysis of the diffraction pattern of a circular aperture 30 years later (Airy 1835), and it took a further 30 years before the idea of using multiple apertures was developed. In an early study the Reverend W. R. Dawes noted that he had frequently found great advantage from the use of a perforated whole aperture' and that when observing Venus this produced a central image of the planet perfectly colourless, and very sharply dened' (Dawes 1866). But it was left to Fizeau, in his submission to the Commission for the Prix Bordin the following year, to remark on une relation remarquable et n´ecessaire entre la dimension des franges et celle de la source lumineuse' and suggest that by using an interferometric combination of light from two separated slits il deviendra possible d'obtenir quelques donn´ees nouvelles sur les diametres angulaires de ces astres' (Fizeau 1868).""
Experiments for investigating the Cause of the coloured concentric Rings, discovered by Sir Isaac Newton. Read February 5, 1807. (+) Continuation of Experiments for investigating the Cause of coloured concentricRings, and other Appearances of a simila...
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1807 a. 1809). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1807 - Part I. Pp. 180-233 a. 1 engraved plate., pp. 259-302 a. 3 large folded engraved plates.
First appearance of the 2 first papers in which Herschel tried to establish his own theory of light.""In a less happy venture into the physics of light, Herschel devoted three papers (1807-1810)- the two first offred here - to investigating the cause of colored concentric rings (""Newton's rings""). Ignoring the explanation already given by Thomas Young wherby the rings result from interference between light waves, Herschel ceriticized Newton' theory and attempted one of his own. he brought down on his head a storm of criticism, and this may have been a cause of his poor health at this period.""(DSB VI, p.333).
"HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - THE BASIS OF INTERFEROMETRIC IMAGING IN ASTRONOMY.
Reference : 45883
(1805)
Experiments for ascertaining how far Telescopes will enable us to determine very small Angles, and to distinguish the real from the spurious Diameters of celestial and terrestrial Objects: with an Application of the Result ofthese Experiments to a ser...
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1805). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1805 - Part I. Pp. 31-64 and 1 engraved plate. Clean and fine.
First appearance of an importent paper, founding the metric of interstellar space.It was the contemporous discoveries of the first minor planets, ceres in 1801, Pallas in 1802 and Juno in 1803, that prompted Herschel to investigate the origin of the spurious diameters of stars. ""Were their apparent diameters as real as those of planets or spurious as for stars? To address this question Herschel conducted an extensive series of experiments in his garden in Slough, examining through his telescope small globules of differing sizes and materials placed in a tree some 800 ft (ca. 244 m) away (Herschel 1805). His observations showed that for the smallest globules the diameters were all spurious and all of the same size. Furthermore, he found that, if just the inner part of the aperture of the telescope were used, the spurious diameters, whether of globules or of stars, were larger. If the whole aperture was employed, the diameters were smaller, and if only an outer annular aperture was used the diameters were smaller still. This experimental discovery that unfilled apertures can be used to obtain high angular resolution remains today the essential basis for interferometric imaging in astronomy (in particular Aperture Masking Interferometry). The theoretical justification of this result came with Airy's analysis of the diffraction pattern of a circular aperture 30 years later (Airy 1835), and it took a further 30 years before the idea of using multiple apertures was developed. In an early study the Reverend W. R. Dawes noted that he had frequently found great advantage from the use of a perforated whole aperture' and that when observing Venus this produced a central image of the planet perfectly colourless, and very sharply dened' (Dawes 1866). But it was left to Fizeau, in his submission to the Commission for the Prix Bordin the following year, to remark on une relation remarquable et n´ecessaire entre la dimension des franges et celle de la source lumineuse' and suggest that by using an interferometric combination of light from two separated slits il deviendra possible d'obtenir quelques donn´ees nouvelles sur les diametres angulaires de ces astres' (Fizeau 1868).""
On the Proper Motion of the Sun and Solar System. - [DISCOVERY OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN - PMM 227]
London, Lockyer Davis and Peter Elmsly, 1783. 4to. In recent marbled paper wrappers. Extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"", vol. 73. Including title-page of volume. A few leaves reinforced in margin. (3), iv, (247)-284 pp. + three folded plates.
![On the Proper Motion of the Sun and Solar System. - [DISCOVERY OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN - PMM 227]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/56994_1_thumb.jpg)
![On the Proper Motion of the Sun and Solar System. - [DISCOVERY OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN - PMM 227]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/56994_2_thumb.jpg)
![On the Proper Motion of the Sun and Solar System. - [DISCOVERY OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN - PMM 227]. "HERSCHEL, WILLIAM.](https://static.livre-rare-book.com/pictures/LLX/56994_3_thumb.jpg)
First appearance of Herschel's famous paper in which he documented his discovery of the movement of the sun and of the entire solar system with it. ""Between 1780 and 1821 Sir Herschel produced some seventy papers, mostly published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. These were the results of his astronomical observations which have earned him the title of 'Farther of sidereal astronomy'. The present paper is one of the most important in the series."" (PMM 227)""Herschel analyzed the individual motions of a small number of stars, showing that most of their observed motions were actually the result of the movement of our solar system through space."" (Norman).PMM 227 Norman 1059
On the Ring of Saturn, and the Rotation of the fifth Satellite upon its Axis. Read December 15, 1791 (+) Miscellaneous Observations. Account of a Comet. Read December 22, 1791.
London, Peter Elmsly, 1792. 4to. In recent marbled paper wrappers. Extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"". Including title-page of volume. Leaves reinforced in margin. (2), iii-vi, (2), 28 pp. + 1 folded plate.
First edition of Herschel's important paper on his observations of the rings of Saturn. ""Saturn exercised a special fascination for Herschel, and between 1789 and 1808 he devoted seven papers and part of an eighth to the planet, its ring, and its satellites.On 19 August 1787 Herschel suspected he had found a sixth and previously unknown satellite, but he was not able to confirm this until 28 August 1789, when his forty-foot telescope came into commission. A few days later he found a seventh satellite. For some months he carefully tracked the satellites, establishing for Mimas and Enceladus periods within seconds of the modern values, and giving evidence to show that Iapetus rotates in its period of revolution.He also made careful observations of the rings, which he believed to be solid. As the earth happened to be in the plane of the ring structure at the time, he compared the thickness of the ring when seen edge-on with the diameter of Jupiter's satellites"" and although his estimate exceeds modern values, his method showed that the thickness did not exceed a few hundred miles."" (DSB)
Account of the Discovery of a Sixth and Seventh Satellite of the Planet Saturn" with Remarks on the Construction of its Ring, its Atmosphere, its Rotation on an Axis, and its spheroidical Figure
London, Peter Elmsly, 1790. 4to. In recent marbled paper wrappers. Extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"". Including title-page of volume. Title-page with professional repair to lower margin, not affecting text. Leaves reinforced in margin. Very light brownspotting through out and light offsetting from folding plate as usual. (2), iii-vi, (2), (1)-20 pp. + three folded plates.
First edition of Herschel's important paper on his observations of the rings of Saturn. ""Saturn exercised a special fascination for Herschel, and between 1789 and 1808 he devoted seven papers and part of an eighth to the planet, its ring, and its satellites.On 19 August 1787 Herschel suspected he had found a sixth and previously unknown satellite, but he was not able to confirm this until 28 August 1789, when his forty-foot telescope came into commission. A few days later he found a seventh satellite. For some months he carefully tracked the satellites, establishing for Mimas and Enceladus periods within seconds of the modern values, and giving evidence to show that Iapetus rotates in its period of revolution.He also made careful observations of the rings, which he believed to be solid. As the earth happened to be in the plane of the ring structure at the time, he compared the thickness of the ring when seen edge-on with the diameter of Jupiter's satellites"" and although his estimate exceeds modern values, his method showed that the thickness did not exceed a few hundred miles."" (DSB)
On the Satellites of the Planet Saturn, and the Rotation of its Ring on an Axis.
London, Lockyer Davis, 1790 4to. In recent marbled paper wrappers. Extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"". Including title-page of volume. Leaves reinforced in margin. Very light brownspotting through out and light offsetting from folding plate as usual. (I)-IV, 427-496 pp. + 1 folded plates.
First edition of Herschel's important paper on his observations of Saturn. ""Saturn exercised a special fascination for Herschel, and between 1789 and 1808 he devoted seven papers and part of an eighth to the planet, its ring, and its satellites.On 19 August 1787 Herschel suspected he had found a sixth and previously unknown satellite, but he was not able to confirm this until 28 August 1789, when his forty-foot telescope came into commission. A few days later he found a seventh satellite. For some months he carefully tracked the satellites, establishing for Mimas and Enceladus periods within seconds of the modern values, and giving evidence to show that Iapetus rotates in its period of revolution.He also made careful observations of the rings, which he believed to be solid. As the earth happened to be in the plane of the ring structure at the time, he compared the thickness of the ring when seen edge-on with the diameter of Jupiter's satellites"" and although his estimate exceeds modern values, his method showed that the thickness did not exceed a few hundred miles."" (DSB)
Observations and Remarks on the Figure, the Climate, and the Atmosphere of Saturn, and its Ring.
(London, Bulwer and Co., 1806). Large 4to. Without wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London."" Year 1806-Part II. Herschel's memoir pp. 455-466 a. 1 engraved plate.
First appearance of Herschel's last paper on Saturn and its ring. He determined Saturns period of rotation and he discovered two more inner satellites. One of these, Iapetus, he found to perform its rotation, but he believed, wrongly, that the rings were solid.
Observations tending to investigate the Nature of the Sun, in order to find the Causes or Symptoms of its variable Emission of Light and Heat" with Remarks on the Use that may possibly be drawn from Solar Observations. Read April 16, 1801.
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1801). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1801 - Part I. Pp. 265-318 and 2 folded engraved plates. Wide-margined. A few small marginal brownspots.
First appearance of an remarkable paper containing an extensive set of observations on the sunspots intermingled with what Herschel called ""ideas that obtruded themselves"" at the time of observation.""Herschel's interest in the sun was naturally stimulated by the realization that, of all the stars, it alone is close enough for detailled examination. he was aware of the various existing theories of the physical constitution of the sun. In a long paper published in 1795 he mentions some of them before his own observations...In 1801, in a second long paper (the paper offered here) in which he arranged his observations according to relevant physical questions, he modified his earlier account of the sun to include in its constitution an interior layer of dark clouds not unlike our own, this layer serving to shield the solar inhabitants from the exterior, luminous layer.
A series of observations of the satellites of the Georgian planet, including a passage through the node of their orbits with an introductory account of the telescopic apparatus that has been used on this occasion" and a final exposition of some calcu...
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1815). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1815 - Part II. Pp. 293-362 and 1 engraved plate. Wide-margined, fine and clean.
First appearance of Herschel's second large paper on sattelites. Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, and this paper is concerned with the sattelites of Uranus (The Georgiean Planet).""His two long papers of 1798 and 1815 (the paper offered) were decvoted almost entirely to sattelites. In 1798 he made the astonishing announcement that the motion of the two known satellites of Uranus was retrograde. he also believed, as the result ofnumerous difficult observations, that he had discovered four additional sattelites, but their existence has not been confirmed.""(DSB).
"HERSCHEL, WILLIAM. - THE DYNAMICAL THEORY OF STARS AND NEBULAE.
Reference : 42810
(1811)
Astronomical Observations relating to the Construction of the Heavens, arranged for the Purpose of a critical Examination, the Result of which appears to throw some new Light upon the Organization of the celestial Bodies. Read June 20, 1811. (+)Astron...
(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1811 a.1814). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" Year 1811-Part II. 269-336 and 2 engraved plates showing the shapes of 42 nebulae and star-clusters. And 1814 - Part I. Pp. 248-84 a. 1 engraved plate. Both fine and clean.
First appearance of two milestone papers in cosmology in which Herschel demonstrates the irregular distribution of the stars in space, and ""for the first time recognized that the clusters in and near the Milky Way really belonged to it, and were not independent systems that happened to lie in the same direction as seen by us.""(Berry, Short History of Astronomy, p. 340).""In 1811 and 1814 (the papers offered) he published a complete theory of a possible process wherby the shining fluid consisting a diffused nebula might gradually condense - the denser portions of it being centres of attraction - first into a denser nebula or compressed star cluster, then into one or more nebulous stars, lastly into a single star or group of stars. Every supposed stage in this process was abundantly illustrated from records of actual nebulae and clusters which he had observed.""(Berry).""Illustrated with many examples at every stage, these papers (1811 a. 1814) showed brilliantly how dynamic changes can be inferred from virtually static evidence"" and Herschel concluded by characterizing the Milky Way in its present stage of dissolution as ""this mysterious chronometer"". (DSB VI, p. 333). A paper by Henry Kater attached: ""Further Experiments on the Light of the Cassegrainian telescope compared with that of the Georgian"". 1814. Pp. 231-247.
Observations and Remarks on the Figure, the Climate, and the Atmosphere of Saturn, and its Ring.
(London, Bulwer and Co., 1806). Large 4to. Without wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London."" Year 1806-Part II. Herschel's memoir pp. 455-466 a. 1 engraved plate. A brownspot in inner lower margin on the 3 first leaves. Some brownspots to the plate.
First appearance of Herschel's last paper on Saturn and its ring. He determined Saturns period of rotation and he discovered two more inner satellites. One of these, Iapetus, he found to perform its rotation, but he believed, wrongly, that the rings were solid.
Journal de Physique, de chimie, et d'Histoire naturelle, Extrait du Tome LXXV, Août 1812
[Paris, De l'imprimerie de Mme Ve Coursier], 1812, in-4, [1]-[90] pages, pagination de 83 à 172, 2 pl. dépliantes, broché, sous couverture beige d'attente de l'époque, La première partie (pp. 83 à 88) de cet extrait original du Journal de Physique fait référence à la catastrophe survenue dans la houillère de Beaujonc relatée par Héron de Villefosse ; elle est suivie d'un Précis de quelques leçons sur l'organisation interne et le développement des végétaux par Mirbel (p. 89 à 120). Cet extrait est largement terminé par les Observations astronomiques relatives à la construction du ciel... (p. 121 à 167) du célèbre astronome William Herschel (1738-1822) ; ces observations sur les nébuleuses, tirées des Transactions philosophiques (mémoire lu lors d'une séance de la Société Royale à Londres, le 20 juin 1811), sont illustrées par deux très belles planches d'astronomie gravées. À la suite se trouvent un Tableau météorologique par M. Bouvard (p. 168-169), des observations effectuées à l'Observatoire de Impérial de Paris et une Annonce de la cent deuxième comète (p. 170). Héron de Villefosse (1774-1852), commença sa carrière sous l'Empire, comme inspecteur des mines du royaume de Westphalie, puis du Grand-duché de Berg. Il devint en 1810 inspecteur général de deuxième classe. Ses travaux sur la Richesse minérale (publiées entre 1810 et 1819, en 3 volumes accompagnés d'un atlas), lui valurent d'être élu membre libre de l'Académie des sciences le 10 juin 1816. Précieux cahier tel que paru, à toutes marges et en partie non coupé. Manque angulaire à la première de couverture. Couverture rigide
Bon [1]-[90] pages, pagination de
