Astronomical Images : Cosmological spheres and orbs

Nicolas d'Orbelles

Astronomical Images

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Nicolas d'Orbelles or Orbellis (1400-1475) was a French Franciscan and a follower of John Duns Scotus (d. 1308). This is a brief commentary on Aristotelian philosophy in the footsteps of Scotus. Here, the printer, Michael Furter, re-used the woodcuts from the 1494 edition of the same title. This woodcut is placed in Orbelles's commentary on Aristotle's <i>On the Heavens</i>. The centre, Earth, has a tripartite section, reflecting the traditional division of the known lands into Africa, Europe and Asia by three water ways (the Mediterranean, the Nile, and the Don). Next to it are the spheres of the Elements of Water, Air and Fire, followed by orbs of the celestial region with an inscription about the length of their orbits. The seven planetary orbs are followed by the heaven of fixed stars, the orb of trepidation and the orb of the prime mover (<i>primum mobile</i>). Orbelles insisted that the prime mover was in the tenth orb, not the ninth as he believed Avicenna had taught.</p>