Petri Apiani Cosmographia, edited by Gemma Frisius
Printed by Arnoldus Birckman in Antwerp, 1540
Petrus Apianus en Gemma Frisius, Leuven
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The Cosmographia was a highly successful popularizing work on astronomy, geography, cartography, surveying, navigation, and scientific instruments.
As early as 1530, in his work De principiis astronomiae et cosmographiae, Frisius mentioned the use of a “portable timekeeper” for determining longitude at sea. In other words, the principle of the marine chronometer was already known in the 16th century. This illustration from the Cosmographia perfectly depicts angular measurement with a simple Jacob’s staff between the Moon and a star, as used in the lunar distance method.
After its first publication in 1524, Peter Apian's work next appeared in 1529 in an improved edition by his student, Gemma Frisius. Providing a layman's introduction to astronomy, geography, cartography, surveying, navigation and mathematical instruments, it became one of the most popular texts of its day, and acted as an outstanding advertisement for the wares in Gemma's instrument shop.
Importantly, it described America in part 2, dating the discovery 1497 and stating that Amerigo Vespucci gave the continent his name. In this edition, Gemma's account of Peru and the expedition of 1530 follows. Two further tracts by him, on triangulation methods and the uses of astronomy, are dated Antwerp, 1533. After 1544 an important worldmap was added to the editions.
First description of Lunar Distance as a method for finding the longitude; and the use of trigonometry for surveying and mapmaking.