Books for everyone

Books edited by IMCCE

Trois éclipses en lumière

LTE is publishing this illustrated book to observe and understand everything about next solar eclipses partially visible in France.

• Format 14×21 cm – 90 pages
• Editor: EDP Sciences
• ISBN: 978-2-7598-4018-2
• Publication date: July 9th, 2026
• Price: 12,90€

Reproduction of the meridian line of Paris Observatory

The meridian line of Paris Observatory, built between 1729 and 1732 in Cassini room, is reproduced on a scale of 1:50 in this leaflet. The Sun’s light enters drilled hole and projects his pictures on the line. The height of the Sun can be precisely measure anywhere and at any time.

• Format: 9.75×22 cm
• Editor: IMCCE
• Mail order
• Price: 5€

La ligne oubliée

This comic explain historic and scientific aspects of the Paris Observatory median line which can seen in Cassini room.

• See several pages
• Format 17×24 cm – 20 pages
• Editor: IMCCE
• Mail order
• Price: 5€

Agenda astronomique

The Astronomical Diary adventure and the successive journeys we've taken you on have come to an end with the 2024 edition! Thank you for your loyalty. We look forward to seeing you again soon with further reading!

Pour la gloire de M. de La Lande

"Pour la Gloire de M. de la Lande" draws a vast historical fresco of the material and scientific and human manufacture of the Connaissance des temps, heiress of the ephemeris published by the astronomer Johannes Kepler between 1627 and 1630. It is the most ancient astronomical and nautical ephemeris, published every year without interruption since 1679, and now published by the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Calculus of Ephemeris (IMCCE) at the Paris Observatory.

Supported by Louis XIV and his "astronomers royal" and quickly placed under the responsibility of the Royal Academy of Sciences in the very early eighteenth century, the Connaissance des temps was later published by the french Bureau of Longitudes, from 1796 to 1998. The present work leaves a large place in the history of these various scientific institutions, in the words and deeds of the successive directors of the ephemeris, the booksellers, the human computers of the ephemeris, and the contextualization of international competition with the English ephemeris, the Nautical Almanac in particular, until the creation of the International Astronomical Union in 1919. The Connaissance des temps was deeply modified by the astronomer Jérôme Lalande in 1760 and its influence was felt until 1979 when the Connaissance des temps took a more modern form in its contents, considering the development of the computer science and then the Internet.

“Pour la Gloire de M. de la Lande” is accessible to non-specialists in astronomy or in the history of astronomy questions. It comes with graphics, explanatory boxes, appendices, and is richly documented. Far beyond the columns of numbers that line up in an astronomical ephemeris, "Pour la Gloire de M. de La Lande" invites us to trace the course and history of the men and women who shaped this atypical annual ephemeris over almost 250 years.

This book is free and can be downloaded. It is available in print on demand on the BoD bookshop website.

• Format 21×29,7 cm – 690pages
• Language: French
• Editor: IMCCE
• ISBN : 978-2-910015-87-9

Nicolas Louis de Lacaille

Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was born in 1713. This booklet commend him for his many contributions to astronomy research.

• See several pages
• Editor: IMCCE
• Mail order
• Publication date: August, 2013
• Price: 5€

L’observatoire de la marine et du Bureau des longitudes au parc Montsouris, 1875-1914

Une école pratique d’astronomie au service des marins et des explorateurs

What about the observatory of French Navy in Paris?

This observatory located in Montsouris park was created in 1875 to teach astronomical observations for sailors to calculate geographic coordinates.

L’astronomie au service de tous

Astronomy is a science to explore and understand the universe. But astronomy is also present in our daily life. It is necessary to the measuring of time, position of celestial bodies, prediction of the phenomena, establishment of calendars, supervision of solar activity. Laws and international agreements oversee the services. This book explains historical aspects of this services and how research can improve them.

• Format: 21.5×21.5 cm – 96 pages
• Editor: IMCCE
• Mail order
• Price: 8€

2011, l’année Neptune

In 2011, Neptune has made one revolution around the Sun since its discovery in 1846. This booklet explains historical aspects and gives an overview of scientific knowledge about Neptune.

• Format 17x23 cm – 16 pages
• Editor: IMCCE
• Mail order
• Price: 5€

Contributions in others books

Impacts, des météores aux cratères

What is the origin of these stones that fall from the sky? How to find new impact craters? What are the environmental consequences of these collisions? Are we able to avoid major collisions? In this book you will find the answers to your questions. Through double pages embellished with numerous illustrations, the authors propose to everyone to dream in front of the sky and to better understand these planetary accidents.

Collective work, under the direction of Sylvain Bouley, with, among the authors, the collaboration of the following IMCCE members: François Colas, Florent Deleflie, Jérémie Vaubaillon and Lucie Maquet.

Belin Editions.