Nicolas Louis de La Caille
Coelum Australe Stelliferum, by Nicolas Louis de La Caille, stands as a monumental work in the history of astronomy. Published in 1763, this star catalog meticulously charts the constellations and stars visible from the Southern Hemisphere. La Caille’s observations, made from the Cape of Good Hope, provided unprecedented accuracy and detail, significantly advancing celestial cartography. This catalog not only documents the positions and magnitudes of nearly 10,000 stars but also introduces fourteen new constellations, many named after scientific instruments, reflecting the Enlightenment era’s dedication to empirical observation and rational inquiry. 'Coelum Australe Stelliferum' remains a crucial resource for astronomers and historians of science, offering invaluable insights into the state of astronomical knowledge during the 18th century and the ongoing quest to map and understand the cosmos.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
