Uranometria, omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova delineata, aereis laminis expressa.

Folio: engr. title, 51 pl. (title cut short at the lower edge without loss, ms. notes on verso of 4 pl., some folds in few pl., occ. spotting, light marg. dampst. or light toning).

Contemp. vellum, flat spine (soiled, upper part of spine missing).

Third edition (1st 1603) of the first accurate celestial atlas covering the entire celestial sphere. Bayer (1572-1625), lawyer and uranographer, introduced Greek and Latin letters to label stars (later known as Bayer designations) instead of verbal descriptions used in Ptolemy's "Almagest", which was the standard up until then. Bayer followed the recent observations of T. Brahe resulting in a considerably accurater atlas than the more limited star listing by Ptolemy. Composed of a dramatic, allegorical engr. title and 51 celestial charts, many ornated with graceful figures. With a ms. index in an old hand at the end. 
Ref. VD17 39:125231A. - Cp. Honeyman 246 (1st ed.), Norman 278 (id.), Macclesfield 319 (id.).