Pagine di cielo (pages of sky) is an exhibition that will take place in Milano, Italy, from September 21 to 29, 2007. Tens of rare and ancient astronomical books from the Brera Observatory library will be on display. An image gallery is available at the web site.

The Mars-minded amoung you might want to have a look at a photo of Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli's observing log, which will also be on display. Schiaparelli did his observations of the canals of Mars in the late XIX century at the Brera Observatory.


Paolo Amoroso

Thanks Paolo,
and i am sorry to don't come in italy to see this rare exhibition

I was there this morning, the exibition being incidentally located in the same building where the Brera Observatory of Schiaparelli's "Mars canali" fame is located. It was quite a commotion to see a copy of the second edition of Copernicus' "De Revolutionibus", the Riccioli lunar atlas (the first lunar map with the modern nomenclature) and most of all a copy of the first edition of Galileo's "Sidereus Nuncius" (the Venetian edition of 1610, not the "cloned" edition which had far poorer lunar drawings but which is usually reproduced in books and magazines).

By the way, the 8" Merz refractor used by Schiaparelli for those observations is open to the public for guided tours and observations. From next December it will be possible to also observe Mars during the coming opposition.


I felt the same. And being able to see these books from close distance reveals details you didn't suspect.

The Brera observatory has one of the richest astronomical libraries in Europe. They have many rare and precious books, including a copy of the first printed edition of Almagest brought to the library and signed by Schiaparelli himself, which is too delicate to be opened and put on display for many days.


Paolo Amoroso