Astronomicum Cæsareum

The Astronomicum Caesareum is considered by many as "perhaps the most beautiful scientific book ever printed" (Brashear, Ronald, Daniel Lewis, and Owen Gingerich. 2001.)  It is the work of Petrus Apianus (1495-1552), who studied astronomy, cosmography and mathematics at the University of Leipzig and in Vienna.  Astronomicum Caesareum took 8 years to create.  It is a scientific manual as well as a work of art.  Apianus provides descriptions of comets, a representation of Ursa Major, and a means to calculate the position of the planets.  Astronomicum Caesareum  was also displayed in the Special Collections Research Center as part of an exhibition titled Book Use, Book Theory: 1500-1700.