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On the Heavens, Aristotle (circa 350 b.c.) On the Heavens, written by Aristotle nearly 2,400 years ago, is perhaps the most influential astronomy book in history..
The first documented records of systematic astronomical observations date back to the Assyro-Babylonians around 1000 BCE.
From this cradle of civilisation in Mesopotamia – in the southern part of present-day Iraq – astronomers had built up knowledge of the celestial bodies and recorded their periodic motions..
Many serious and experienced antiquarian book collectors are focused on tracking down works from the 16th century and earlier.
As most antique collectors and aficionados are aware, items are typically considered to be “antiques” if they are aged 100 years or older..
The Almagest /ˈ\xe6lmədʒɛst/ is a 2nd-century mathematical and astronomical treatise on the apparent motions of the stars and planetary paths, written by Claudius Ptolemy ( c.
AD 100 – c. 170) in Koine Greek..
By studying the cosmos beyond our own planet, we can understand where we came from, where we are going, and how physics works under conditions which are impossible to recreate on Earth..
The traditional (stalwart, stuffy, unprogressive) definition of an antiquarian book is a book that is at least 100 years old, but usually older (much, much older).
This includes incunabula – books, pamphlets, and broadsides printed in Europe before the year 1501..
Age and Imprint
Any book published before 1900, especially on Americana, is potentially valuable.
On the other hand, there are many rare books that are not more than 20 years old.
Usually, these books are in demand and rare because of the combined factors of importance and scarcity..
Many serious and experienced antiquarian book collectors are focused on tracking down works from the 16th century and earlier.
As most antique collectors and aficionados are aware, items are typically considered to be “antiques” if they are aged 100 years or older..
The first documented records of systematic astronomical observations date back to the Assyro-Babylonians around 1000 BCE.
From this cradle of civilisation in Mesopotamia – in the southern part of present-day Iraq – astronomers had built up knowledge of the celestial bodies and recorded their periodic motions..
The Babylonians discovered that lunar eclipses recurred in a repeating cycle known as a saros.
Greek equatorial sundial, Alexandria on the Oxus, present-day Afghanistan 3rd–2nd century BC.
Following the Babylonians, significant advances in astronomy were made in ancient Greece and the Hellenistic world..
On the Heavens, Aristotle (circa 350 b.c.)
On the Heavens, written by Aristotle nearly 2,400 years ago, is perhaps the most influential astronomy book in history.
This work's continued importance stems mostly from its historical significance to the Catholic Church..
Series of pocket guidebooks
The Observer's Books are a series of small
Pocket-sized booksPublished by Frederick Warne & Co in the United Kingdom from 1937 to 2003.They covered topics such as :
History and wildlife.Intended for children
The aim of these books was to interest the observer.Some of them have become collector's items.For the dedicated collector this could be a lifetime's work as there are over 800 variations
Some of which are now rare.The values of the books can vary from 50 pence to hundreds of pounds.
