Notable Phenomena

Johann Dopplemayr (1677-1750) studied mathematics, physics and law. He was eventually appointed to the Chair of Mathematics at Aegidien Gymnasium in Nuremburg where he remained for some 50 years until his death.

He wrote a number of publications on geography, mathematical instruments, sundials and trigonometry and most notably compiled a book of historical biographies of 3 centuries of mathematicians from Nuremburg.

Dopplemayr collaborated with cartographer and engraver, Johann Homann for most of his (essentially unoriginal) astronomy publications. The above illustrations come from a work whose title page refers directly to Copernicus and Brahe but a debt is also owed to Pardies, Hevelius and Bayer and likely others - the origins of all the cosmological and astronomical diagrams in Dopplemayr's 1742 Atlas Coelestis is still not completely settled.

Atlas Coelestis in quo Mundus Spectabilis et in eodem Stellarum omnium Phoenomena notabilia, circa ipsarum Lumen, Figuram, Faciem, Motum, Eclipses, Occultationes, Transitus, Magnitudines, Distantias, aliaque secundum Nic. Copernici et ex parte Tychonis de Brahe Hipothesin. Nostri intuitu, specialiter, respectu vero ad apparentias planetarum indagatu possibiles e planetis primariis, et e luna habito, generaliter celeberrimorum astronomorum observationibus graphice descripta exhibentur, cum tabulis majoribus XXX is online at the website of Robert Harry Van Gent.

• A more colourful display of the 30 plates from the book are online at the appropriately titled Atlas Coelestis site.
• The above closeup details were taken from the flash zoom interface of Atlas Coelestis, hosted by the Gallica website of the BNF (thumbnail page).
• Relevant background and further vividly coloured examples from Atlas Coelestis and some other Dopplemayr celestial charts and globes are available at Glazer Gallery.
• Robert Harry Van Gent's homepage on the history of astronomy.
• More history of astronomy link lists.
• Previous astronomy related posts (the ones I remember anyway)
  

[I removed some of those little known but nevertheless recalcitrant common sense defying reappearing constellations: stampus libraria from the above illustrations]
Originally found via the eccentrically impressive MadMeg site, but thanks for the reminder D.