MAIN, Robert. ~ Rudimentary Astronomy. London: [Bradbury and Evans for] John Weale, 1852.
8vo (180 × 110 mm), pp. xx, 156, including wood engraved frontispiece and title with large vignette, illustrations. Publisher’s green embossed limp cloth, printed label to the upper cover. A little rubbed and soiled with minimal fraying. A good copy.
First edition. An influential astronomy tutor which ran to several editions. ‘In August 1835 Main was appointed chief assistant at the Royal Greenwich Observatory under Sir George Airy, whom he served with loyalty and efficiency for twenty-five years... Main succeeded Johnson as Radcliffe observer on 19 June 1860, and resided at Oxford from 1 October 1860’. He made significant observations in both posts (notably on Venus, Saturn and fixed stars), presenting his findings to the Royal Astronomical Society. At Oxford he compiled and edited the second Radcliffe catalogue of stars and he has craters named after him on both the moon and Mars.