Phenomena: Doppelmayr's Celestial Atlas

"The Atlas Coelestis was first published in 1742. Its creator, Johann Doppelmayr, set out to record in it everything known about astronomy at the time, and so it covers constellations, planets, comets, moons, and more, in exquisite detail. Phenomena begins by introducing Doppelmayr's life and work, placing his extraordinary atlas in the context of the discoveries made during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment and highlighting the significance of its publication. The introduction will also include a timeline, noting all the key discoveries from ancient times through the Copernican Revolution to the publication of the atlas, and a dramatis personae, giving short bios of all the key players up to 1742, many of whom are referenced in the atlas. Phenomena then presents the thirty beautifully illustrated and richly annotated plates, covering all the fundamentals of astronomy, from the dimensions of the solar system to the phases of the moon, and from the constellations of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to the courses of comets. Each plate is accompanied by expert analysis from astronomer Giles Sparrow, who deftly explains Doppelmayr's references and renders this important cosmological work intelligible for a modern audience. The plates are then carefully deconstructed, isolating key stars, planets, orbits, and moons for in-depth explanation. A conclusion reflects upon the atlas's influence on the development of astronomy and traces the course of the science up to the present day. This elegant and comprehensive presentation intelligently expands Doppelmayr's work, creating a spectacular handbook to the cosmos"--