Handbuch der Astronomie ihrer Geschichte und Litteratur: in zwei Bänden ; [in 4 Büchern]. Erstes Buch: Aufgabe, Geschichte und Vorkenntnisse. Halbbd. 1 (1890)

Rudolf Wolf, a Swiss astronomer and mathematician, authored this monumental Handbuch der Astronomie as a comprehensive synthesis of the field’s historical development and technical foundations. Published in Zurich, the work served as a definitive reference for late 19th-century scholars, consolidating vast amounts of literature that had previously been scattered across disparate scientific publications. Wolf sought to provide an authoritative framework for understanding the trajectory of astronomical science from antiquity through the modern era.

The design of the volume reflects the rigorous academic standards of the era, emphasizing systematic categorization and precise bibliographic documentation. By structuring the work into distinct books and parts, Wolf created a structured encyclopedia that was well-received by the international scientific community for its clarity and depth. It remains a significant primary resource for historians of science, valued for its exhaustive coverage of the astronomical literature available at the turn of the century.