Tables astronomiques de M. Halley, 1754-1759
HALLEY, Edmond || DE LALANDE, Jérôme || CHAPPE D'AUTEROCHE, Jean de (Abbé).
Tables astronomiques de M. Hallei.
Paris, Durand & Pissot, 1754-1759.
8vo (250x164 mm), xii-lxxxviii-328 pages and 5 folding plates (3 tables, 1 plate and 1 map) / viii-200 pages. binding : Modern quarter chagreen, spine in five compartments. Bindings slightly differents. Headcap worn on volume I. Joint fragile on volume I.
First edition in French of Halley's astronomical tables after the original in Latin of 1749.
The first volume supervised by Chappe d'Auteroche presents the tables of the Sun and the Moon with additions by Le Monnier.
The second volume supervised by Jérôme De Lalande presents the tables of planets and comets, and is preceded by a translation of the theory of comets by Halley.
More than the Halley's text, Lalande presents for the first time his account of the return of the 1682 comet in 1759. Lalande's work is indeed published shortly after the return of the 1682 comet (henceforth called "Halley's comet") whose the English scientist had predicted, according to the Newtonian equations, the passage in the terrestrial sky at the end of the year 1758 or the beginning of the year 1759... which was indeed the case.
This experimental proof of the theories of Newton was a milestone in astronomy.
references: Houzeau-Lancaster [12796 : "Le traducteur, (Chappe d'Auteroche), a ajouté un exposé des méthodes pour trouver la longitude en mer et des observations sur la lune faites en 1736 et 1737. Le deuxième volume a été publié par de Lalande qui y a insérer les tables des satellites de Jupiter de Wargentin et une histoire de la comète de Halley"], Norman [981 for the first 1st ed. (tabulae astronomicae. 1749) : "This posthumously published astronomical tables include Halley’s calculations relating to the so-called ‘long inequality’ of Jupiter and Saturn, caused by the deacceleration of Saturn and the increasing acceleration of Jupiter. Halley correctly theorized that this phenomenon might be the result of a gravitational attraction between the two planets. The edition also contains the third Latin edition of the Synopsis astronomiae cometicae "].
Price : 950 €
