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an open book with a picture of a man on itan old book with a red cover sitting on top of a white surface
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Estimate €700 - €900
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Description
Astronomy Izarn, Joseph On Stones Fallen from the Sky, or Atmospheric Lithology, presenting the Progress and Current State of Science regarding the Phenomenon of Thunder Stones, Stone Showers, Stones Fallen from the Sky, etc., including several unpublished observations, communicated by Messrs. Pictet, Sage, Darcet and Vauquelin, together with a theoretical treatise on the formation of these stones. With 1 folded table. Paris, Delalain Fils, Year XI (1803). VIII, 421 pp. 8°, half-leather in the style of the period. Poggendorff I, 1174 – Burke, Cosmic Debris, 59. – A rare and early monograph on the nature of meteorites, which systematically compiles the state of research at the time on ‘pierres de foudre’, stone showers and ‘stones falling from the sky’. Izarn, a physician and physicist, first reconstructs the various interpretations of these phenomena prior to 1700 and supplements them with numerous observational reports—some published here for the first time—on spectacular meteorite falls, including contributions by Pictet, Sage, Darcet and Vauquelin. On this empirical basis, he devises a theory of the origin of these stones, which – still within the framework of the physics of the time – regards them as bodies formed in the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, thus occupying a middle ground between the traditional ‘lightning stone’ explanation and an extraterrestrial interpretation. The enclosed folded table serves to present and compare the documented cases clearly – for example, by date, location, appearance and the physical properties of the stones – and at the same time makes the book a working tool for naturalists seeking to quantify this controversial phenomenon. - Only minimal staining. Well preserved. A fine copy. Astronomy. – With 1 folded table. A rare and early monograph on the nature of meteorites, systematically compiling the state of research at the time on ‘pierres de foudre’, stone showers, and ‘stones falling from the sky’. Izarn, a physician and physicist, first reconstructs the various interpretations of these phenomena prior to 1700 and supplements them with numerous observational reports—some published here for the first time—on spectacular meteorite falls, including contributions by Pictet, Sage, Darcet and Vauquelin. On this empirical basis, he develops a theory regarding the origin of these stones, which—whilst still within the framework of the physics of the time—interprets them as bodies formed in the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, thus bridging the gap between the traditional ‘lightning stone’ explanation and an extraterrestrial interpretation. The enclosed fold-out table serves to clearly present and compare the documented cases – for example, by date, location, appearance and the physical properties of the stones – whilst also making the book a practical tool for naturalists seeking to quantify this controversial phenomenon. – Only minimal staining. Well preserved. Good copy.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
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Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
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