Skip to content
Vatican Observatory
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
    • Ambassadors
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
    • Overview
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Fr. Coyne Fundraiser
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact

Treasures from the Vatican Observatory Library: An Old & Artsy Science Book

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  18 Aug 2022

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

This is the last in a series of five posts (click here for the series) about interesting things in the Vatican Observatory library at Castel Gandolfo.  I was there in June—and I had a key!

Some things in the library’s collection are quite old.  The collection includes a number of books that date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  A particularly photogenic book was this one, on comets.

What stands out about this book are its many fold-out illustrations that show comets as they appeared to the eye, and that show their paths through the constellations, and the changing lengths and directions of their tails as they move along those paths.  Most of the constellation illustrations are very “artistic”.  There are some that are more “scientific”, showing just the stars and a coordinate grid, but the vast majority show the constellations as elaborate pictures. 

A remarkable thing about these older books is how durable they are.  As you can see in the picture above, some of the fold-outs in the comet book extend to the length of almost four pages. Fold-outs are common in these old books, and generally speaking the fold-out illustrations show no ill effects of time.  They can be unfolded and re-folded with ease; no concern that the paper will fall apart, or tear along a fold. 

Seventeenth-century paper was a remarkable technology.  From what I gather, paper-making technology began to change around 1800, to become the less-durable paper we know today.  An article by Timothy Barrett of the Iowa University Libraries states that after 1800 paper started becoming less stable over the long term, as the paper-making process became more mechanized and started to use more harsh chemicals. 

What this means is that books in the library from 1900 may have very brittle pages, while far older books have fully functional fold-outs… seen below!  And since the old books show so little effects of time, it seems reasonable to assume that they will still be useable in another century, or two, or four—when some other person will be perusing the contents of the Vatican Observatory Library, checking the artsy science fold-outs!

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

Sacred Space Astronomy

The Vatican Observatory’s official digital community and online magazine.

Become a Member

Recent Posts

From the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science Pages: Bellarmine – The Louvain Lectures

By Faith and Science  |  7 Jun 2023

Vatican Observatory Highlighted on La Civiltà Cattolica

By Robert Trembley  |  6 Jun 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

In Pursuit of Dots

By Deirdre Kelleghan  |  6 Jun 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

One Fine Vatican Alt-Az Refractor

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  3 Jun 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Archives

      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • August
      • June
      • March
      • January
      • November
      • October
      • December
      • November
      • April
      • May
      • January
      • December
      • September
      • May
      • March
      • December
      • November
      • February

More Posts by
Christopher M. Graney

One Fine Vatican Alt-Az Refractor

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  3 Jun 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Utility Bills, Icy Moons, and Regional Climate

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  27 May 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

A Wooden Tripod falls from the Sky

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  20 May 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Nexus: Conversation and Compulsion regarding Artificial Intelligence

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  13 May 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Telescope Domes Visible for Miles

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  6 May 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Sister Doctors of Science

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  22 Apr 2023  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

View More

Newsletter

Upcoming astronomical events, scientific breakthroughs, philosophical reflections… just a few reasons to subscribe to our newsletter!

Vatican Observatory
  • About
  • Telescopes
  • Latest
  • Podcast
  • Education
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Support
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
Privacy Policy  |   Cookie Policy  |   Disclosure Statement

Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts Listen onApple Podcasts
  • Spotify Listen onSpotify
  • Google Podcasts Listen onGoogle Podcasts
  • Stitcher Listen onStitcher
  • Amazon Alexa Listen onAmazon Alexa
  • TuneIn Listen onTuneIn
Made by Longbeard