Complete with all illustrations and text. An uncommon second edition of a landmark work by the distinguished Irish astronomer and science writer Agnes Mary Clerke, one of the most influential voices in late Victorian astronomy. First published in 1890, The System of the Stars stands as one of the earliest comprehensive and accessible expositions of modern stellar astronomy, and among the first books to incorporate astrophotography as a means of scientific illustration. Magnificently illustrated with monochrome plates, including a folding photographic chart of the Pleiades by MM. Paul and Prosper Henry containing 2,326 stars as frontispiece, together with textual vignettes. Clerke’s work is both scientifically and culturally significant, blending lucid exposition with philosophical reflection. It sought to make the discoveries of nineteenth-century sidereal astronomy accessible to a wider readership, while suggesting that the beauty and order of the heavens, captured through the new art of photography, point to the existence of a divine creator. In recognition of her contributions, Clerke was elected an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1903, only the fourth woman to receive this honour, following Caroline Herschel, Mary Somerville, and Anne Sheepshanks. Covers in good condition, rubbed at the extremities; some foxing, with many early annotations throughout the first half of the book. Two illustrations from another contemporary text have been neatly affixed within this book on blank pages, further evidencing its use as an active reference work in the early twentieth century. A landmark in the popularisation of astronomy, and a testament to one of the foremost women of Victorian science. First edition of Helen Wright’s The Great Palomar Telescope (Faber and Faber, London, 1953), an engaging account of the conception, construction, and scientific significance of the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Mount Palomar, then the largest in the world. Illustrated throughout with photographs and diagrams, the book captures a landmark moment in twentieth-century astronomy and science communication. Covers and hinges show wear, half title seems partly cut, pages are generally clean.