Leçons d'astronomie geométrique et physique

Description

La Caille is best known for his astronomical work and star charts; he is particularly famous for the precision of his mathematical calculations. While in South Africa, he mapped the positions of nearly 10,000 stars, classifying them according to their brightness. He also added new constellations and completed a survey of the Meridian Arc in Cape Town. Previous measurements of the north-south arc of the Earth had been made in the northern hemisphere but not in the southern hemisphere. La Caille's work incorrectly showed that the Earth was pear-shaped rather than round. The error was later corrected by Maclear. La Caille is best known for his astronomical work and his star charts, and is especially recognised for his mathematical precision. While in South Africa, he mapped the positions of nearly 10,000 stars, classifying them according to their brightness. He also added new constellations and completed a terrestrial survey of the Meridian Arc in Cape Town. Previous measurements of the north-south arc of the Earth had been completed in the northern hemisphere, but not in the southern hemisphere. The first edition of this book is very rare to find in bookshops.