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17th century chart of the solar system according to Tycho Brahe

Planisphaerium Braheum, sive structura Mundi Totius, ex hypothesi Tychonis Brahei in plano delineata.
Amsterdam, Schenk & Valk, 1708. Original colour with additions, including gold highlights. 440 x 515mm.
Stock #:  22116

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Description

A beautiful celestial chart showing Tycho Brahe's theory of the solar system, with the Sun still orbiting the Earth, but the planets orbiting the Sun. Jupiter is shown with four moons. In the borders the title banners are held up by putti, and portraits of Brahe at his Hven observatory bottom right and Ptolemy bottom left. The Danish Astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was critical of the data that Copernicus used in his heliocentric model, so posited a Solar System merging the theories of Ptolemy and Copenicus, so that the Sun revolved around the earth, but the planets were bound to the Sun. It was only in 1616, after his death, that the Church declared that the heliocentric model was contrary to both philosophy and Scripture. This chart was published in the 'Atlas Coelestis; seu Harmonia Macrocosmica', the only celestial atlas to be produced in the Netherlands before the nineteenth century. It was a compilation of maps of the Ptolemaic universe and the more modern theories of Copernicus and Brahe, and remains the finest and most highly decorative celestial atlas ever produced. It was originally published by Jan Jansson in 1660: this chart comes from Schenk & Valk's reissue.

Condition:

A good example.

References:

KOEMAN: Cel 3.

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