Motuum caelestium ephemerides ab anno Ae. V. MDCLXVI ad MDCLXXX

In-4, [257] ff. Collation: [a]–d⁴, e¹, A–Z⁴, Aa–Zz⁴, Aaa–Ooo⁴. Engraved vignette on the title-page by Johann Benssheimer, after a design by Adolf Boy. Contemporary speckled calf, with gilt triple-fillet borders on the covers; spine with raised bands, gilt-ruled compartments decorated with small floral tools, and the date "1666–80" lettered in gilt (binding restored, with the original spine and boards preserved and losses filled in; paper toned, with a diagonal crease across the title-page and some other leaves, light foxing and spotting, and occasional small stains; early ink price notes on the title-page; text clean and margins good). Engraved armorial bookplate of the South Library, Shirburn Castle (Earls of Macclesfield), with press mark 181.L.19 and catalogue date (1860); the same arms blind-stamped on the title-page and preliminary leaves. First edition of Hecker's fifteen-year ephemerides of the planets, calculated from Kepler's Rudolphine Tables and Tycho Brahe's observations, for the meridian of Uraniborg. Johann Hecker (1625–1675) was a Danzig astronomer and civic official, and a cousin and scientific collaborator of Johannes Hevelius. After studying at Königsberg and several other European universities, where he also met René Descartes, he returned to Danzig, serving as a city councillor from 1651 and as senior of the aldermen's court from 1654 to 1664. His astronomical work was based on the observations of Tycho Brahe and the calculations of Kepler. Hecker also actively promoted international scientific cooperation: in 1672 he issued a call to astronomers throughout Europe to observe the transit of Mercury predicted for 6 May 1674 and report their observations. The work comprises a dedication to the city of Danzig, a preface, commendatory verses (including one by Joachim Pastorius), and an extensive Introductio in Ephemerides, followed by astronomical tables for each year from 1666 to 1680, each with its own title-page. Hecker's fifteen-year ephemerides of the planets were calculated from Kepler's Rudolphine Tables and Tycho Brahe's observations for the meridian of Uraniborg. The substantial introduction defends the usefulness of ephemerides, surveys earlier astronomical tables, and compares the principal systems, including the Prutenic, Alphonsine, Danish, Lansbergian and Rudolphine tables. It also cites Bullialdus's Astronomia Philolaica, Gassendi's observation of Mercury in 1631, and Hevelius's observation at Danzig in 1661, whom Hecker calls his cousin. Practical aids include a Catalogus civitatum listing cities across Europe, Asia and Africa with their time differences from Uraniborg and polar heights, a table of the equation of time, worked examples, and explanations of planetary aspects and eclipses. Hecker also introduces four additional aspects: the semisextile, quintile, biquintile and quincunx. The annual sections contain chronological and calendrical data, descriptions and diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses, and monthly tables arranged on facing pages. These give the daily longitudes and latitudes of the planets and Moon, together with planetary configurations, aspects, lunar phases, apogee and perigee, and observations concerning planetary visibility. The tables use both Julian and Gregorian dates and include Hecker's four additional aspects. An important and comprehensive example of seventeenth-century astronomical publishing, combining long-term planetary calculations with a substantial theoretical introduction and practical instructions for their use, reflecting the close scientific connections between Hecker, Hevelius and the wider European astronomical community. Rare. VD17 23:000221V. …