It is not clear how it ended up on the shelves of the Central Military Library (Madrid), but the truth is that the
Novae coelestium terrestrium rerum observationes
(Observations of new heavenly and earthly things) is the only copy preserved in Spain that can be be the oldest existing lunar atlas. It was published in 1646 by the Italian mathematician and astronomer Francesco Fontana (1585-1656), although his observations began four decades earlier (1608), as he himself states in the work, “a year before those of Galileo Galilei.” .
The 150-page atlas, written in Latin, includes numerous woodcuts - impressions from a plate carved from boxwood - that detail and describe the lunar surface with incredible fidelity. To achieve this, Fontana developed his own 20x telescope - until then they offered just over three - with which he even managed to glimpse the silhouettes of three planets in the solar system.
He published his findings in this book that today, now restored and digitized, is kept under strict safety conditions, which include an antacid box without iron particles that could degrade it, constant temperature and humidity, and radon gas fire protection. “Humidity, fire and pests are our three main enemies,” says Army Colonel Manuel Rodríguez, director of the library.
It is unknown exactly who invented the telescope. Several German and Dutch astronomers (Hans Lippershey, Zacharias Janssen and Jacob Metius) are credited with its creation around the first decade of the 17th century. But also the Spanish Juan Roget, in 1590, and Francesco Fontana himself.
Maite Rodríguez Macías, technical director of the Central Military Library (BCM), explains that Fontana claims to be the editor of the first lunar atlas, but he does not provide evidence. “We only have his word. What is proven is that he greatly improved existing telescopes. In fact, his observations of the Moon have an incredible level of detail. However, his drawings of Venus, Mars and Saturn are imprecise. We must remember that alone, and thanks to a combination of concave and convex lenses, they managed to increase the image 20 times.” The documentary filmmaker also admits that there is no answer to why Fontana published his book in 1646 if his observations began much earlier. “He is an enigmatic and surprising character,” she adds.
Defense does not know how the book could have arrived in Madrid, although the volume is marked with an
exlibris
- ownership seal - of the General Staff, but without a date. Experts suspect that it may have been part of a library or artillery or engineering academy, which acquired it and then donated it.
The atlas is kept under strong security and conservation measures. It is maintained at a constant temperature of between 19 and 20 degrees and a stable humidity of 40%. It is located inside a box that adjusts exactly to its measurements to prevent sudden movement from damaging it. This packaging is made of a material, similar to cardboard, that does not contain iron particles that can rust in contact with the book cover. ”Iron oxidizes the inks and cellulose and blackens them,” says the technical director of the library. An argon gas system, which eliminates oxygen in the event of a fire, protects the entire military installation.
Antonio Ruiz Benítez, general and director of the Institute of Military History and Culture (IHCM), on which the library depends, asserts that the institution is ultimately responsible for “the protection, conservation and dissemination of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of the Army.” . The importance that Defense gives to this organization is such that it depends on a first-level command of the Army General Staff, in this case a Division General. “We safeguard the military history of Spain, the heritage of all citizens. For this reason, anyone interested or who has research concerns is allowed to consult documentation in our 30 centers, libraries or archives. They are available from the archives we have from the Civil War, under the Democratic Memory Law, to the enigmatic atlas of the Moon by Francesco Fontana.”
The copy has been digitized and restored for online
consultation
and can be seen in the Virtual Defense Library. The enormous details it offers about the Moon are surprising, including explanatory notes from the author, as well as schematic or erroneous drawings of Mars, Venus and Saturn. “It seems that the telescope was no longer enough for him,” jokes Maite Rodríguez, while she returns to put the volume away with the utmost care with her hands clad in immaculate white gloves.
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