Outlines of Astronomy
Philadephia: Blanchard and Leas, 1853. Octavo. Item #031069
557 pages, 16pp ads, illustrated, (1) chart, 5 plates (including frontispiece) and drawings within the text. When Herschel published his work on natural philosophy in 1830, he was already the major scientist in England. While astronomy was his major subject, he also made advances in mathematics and other scientific endeavors. Physical astronomy does not give "either the evidence of a beginning, or the prospect of an end" of our system, said Herschel, quoting the words of the Uniformitarian geologist James Hutton. Yet we have no reason to believe that the system is eternal, and indeed the elliptical state of the earth indicates at least a primitive state which allowed some freedom of movement for the original materials to arrange themselves in this shape. Bound in publisher's brown cloth decorated in blind, spine lettering gilt and decorated in blind, chipping to spine ends, corners worn, two previous owner's names, one dated 1856 the other dated 1950 apparently purchased at Goodspeed's. The second owner has written explanatory notes on the endpapers. A very good copy.
Price: $225.00