Charles F. Blunt: The beauty of the heavens: a pictorial display of the astronomical phenomena of the universe: one hundred and four coloured scenes illustrating a familiar lecture on astronomy (London, 1842)

Roland Lüthi

[:de]Zur Illustration der astronomischen Wissenschaft hat Charles F. Blunt unter dem Titel The beauty of the heavens 104 farbige Tafeln geschaffen. Sie sind zusammen mit dem erläuternden Text als Unterweisung für die ganze Familie gedacht:

“With its aid a family need not henceforth quit their own parlour, or drawing-room fireside, to enjoy the sublime “beauty of the heavens;” but, within their domestic circle, may, without any previous acquirements in Astronomy, become their own instructors in knowledge of its great and leading truths and phenomena (v).”

Über den Autor dieses visuell sehr ansprechenden Werks ist leider kaum etwas ausfindig zu machen. The beauty of the heavens ist online auf e-rara.ch.

 

Frontispiz

Tafel I – The fixed Stars

Tafel II – The Earth: its Form, and Position in Space

Tafel XI – The Planet Saturn

Tafel XIII – The Moon at the Full

Tafel L – Monoceros and Canis Minor

Tafel LVIII – Eclipse of the Moon

Tafel LXII – An Annular Eclipse of the Sun

Tafel LXXVI – The Moon’s Surface: Tycho

Tafel LXXXIII – The Nebula of the Constellation Hercules

Tafel XCIII – Atmospheric Refraction

Tafel CIII – Clouds – Nimbus, or Rain-Cloud

[:en]To illustrate the science of astronomy, Charles F. Blunt has created 104 coloured panels entitled The beauty of the heavens. Together with the explanatory text, they are intended as instruction for the whole family:

“With its aid a family need not henceforth quit their own parlour, or drawing-room fireside, to enjoy the sublime “beauty of the heavens;” but, within their domestic circle, may, without any previous acquirements in Astronomy, become their own instructors in knowledge of its great and leading truths and phenomena (v).”

Unfortunately, there is very little information about the author of this visually appealing work. The beauty of the heavens is online via e-rara.ch.

 

Frontispiece

Plate I – The fixed Stars

Plate II – The Earth: its Form, and Position in Space

Plate XI – The Planet Saturn

Plate XIII – The Moon at the Full

Plate L – Monoceros and Canis Minor

Plate LVIII – Eclipse of the Moon

Plate LXII – An Annular Eclipse of the Sun

Plate LXXVI – The Moon’s Surface: Tycho

Plate LXXXIII – The Nebula of the Constellation Hercules

Plate XCIII – Atmospheric Refraction

Plate CIII – Clouds – Nimbus, or Rain-Cloud

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Authors