HEVELIUS, Johannes. Mercurius in sole visus Gedani, anno christiano MDCLXI... [With Horrocks's Venus in sole pariter visa, 1639]. Danzig: Simon Reiniger for the author, 1662. First Edition.

A Monumental Milestone of 17th-Century Astronomy: The First Published Observations of the Transits of Mercury and Venus

An extraordinary, museum-grade copy of the true first edition of one of Johannes Hevelius’s most celebrated and visually stunning publications, privately printed at the author's own expense in Danzig, 1662.

This landmark volume contains Hevelius's meticulous telescopic observations of the transit of Mercury across the Sun on May 3, 1661. Crucially, it also includes the first appearance in print of Jeremiah Horrocks’s pioneering observations of the historic November 24, 1639 transit of Venus—the first time a transit of Venus was ever witnessed and recorded by an astronomer. Supplied to Hevelius by Christiaan Huygens, Horrocks’s posthumous manuscript enabled the first accurate calculations of Venus's diameter and orbital constants.

Beyond its scientific weight, the volume stands out as a masterpiece of baroque scientific illustration, adorned with a spectacular allegorical title vignette and ten magnificent plates engraved by Hevelius himself.

Hevelius’s early works are famously rare: a catastrophic fire at his estate in September 1679 destroyed his library, his instruments, and almost all unsold stock of his publications, making surviving copies of this 1662 masterpiece highly prized on the international market.

Bibliographic Specifications

• Author: Johannes Hevelius (1611–1687) (with contributions by Jeremiah Horrocks)

• Full Title: Johannis Hevelii Mercurius in Sole visus Gedani, Anno Christiano MDCLXI, d. III Maii. St. n. [...] Cui annexa est Venus in Sole pariter visa, Anno 1639...

• Imprint: Danzig (Gedanum): Printed by Simon Reiniger for the author, 1662.

• Edition: First Edition (True First Printing).

• Format: Folio (approx. 340 x 220 mm).

• Illustrations:

  • 1 grand engraved allegorical title vignette by Frans Allen after Adolph Boy.

  • 10 splendid engraved plates by Hevelius (including diagrams of the planetary transits and astronomical phenomena).

  • 1 in-text engraved illustration.

  • Letterpress tables, woodcut and type-ornament initials, headpieces, and tailpieces.

• Language: Latin.

Binding & Condition Report

• Binding: Half vellum. Boards structurally tight and secure.

• Internal Condition: A very good, crisp copy with generous margins. Paging and plates are exceptionally clean; light, natural age-toning and very minor, isolated spotting as expected for an un-restored 17th-century folio. The engravings retain remarkably dark, sharp impressions. Overall, a beautiful, genuine example of a legendary rarity.

References & Provenance

• References: Norman 1067; VD17 39:125101A; Lalande, p. 25.