Milestones of Science Books

EULER, Leonhard.

Theoria Motuum Lunae, nova methodo pertractata una cum Tabulis Astronomicis, unde ad quodvis tempus Loca Lunae expedite computari possunt. .

St. Petersburg: Typis Academiae imperialis scientiarum, 1772.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002873

4to (255 x 200 mm). [16], 775 [1] pp., including one folding engraved plate. Bound in contemporary calf, rebacked with modern calf, spine ruled in gilt, with 5 raised bands and two gilt-lettered morocco labels (boards scratched, extremities worn, corners bumped and scuffed), red-dyed edges, lower edge partially uncut. Very little age-toning to text, foxing to margins of endpapers and title-page, occasional light marginal foxing elsewhere, otherwise quite crisp and clean. Provenance: small collector's circular ink-stamp featuring an owl on title page verso. Near fine, extremely wide-margined copy. ----

Enestrom 418; Lalande 526; Roller-Goodman I, 375; DSB IV, p.472. FIRST EDITION of Euler's second theory of the lunar motion. Euler was assisted by his son Johann, Wolfgang Kraft and Johann Lexell. "From 1770 to 1772 Euler elaborated his second theory of lunar motion... but the scientists assisting Euler were not mere secretaries; he discussed the general scheme of the work with them, and they developed his ideas, calculated tables, and sometimes compiled examples. The enormous Theoria muotuum lunae... was thus completed with the help of Johann Albert Euler, Krafft, and Lexell - all of whom are credited on the title-page." (DSB). - Visit our website for additional images and information.

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