- Title: [Atmospheric Phenomena]
- Author: Johann Zahn
- Date: 1696
- Medium: Copperplate engraving
- Condition: Very Good - light age toning and foxing, minor surface dirt, issued center fold
- Inches: 18 1/4 x 15 1/2 [Paper]
- Centimeters: 46.36 x 39.37 [Paper]
- Product ID: 3110026
This work is renowned for its exceptional cosmographical illustrations and stands as a captivating compendium encompassing mathematics, astronomy, meteorology, geology, general learning, and natural history. The author skillfully integrated the astronomical theories of Copernicus and Tycho Brahe, and the book is often regarded as a concise counterpart to the expansive works of Athanasius Kircher, although the material itself is distinct. The celestial charts are based on Hevelius, solar and lunar maps derive from Eimmart, and one of the world maps is modeled after Kircher. Additionally, the volume includes imaginative engravings—reflecting the author Zahn’s belief that demons could exert real influence and even inhabit plants or animals.
Background on Creator
Johann Zahn (1641-1707), German mathematician and scientist who wrote prolifically on the camera obscura and other topics related to optics. Demonstrates various atmospheric phenomena caused by the sun such as halos. Published in Zahn's Specula Physico-Mathematico-Historica (1696).