Cover of Cosmos

Cosmos

by Alexander von Humboldt

First published
1845
Reading level
Fairly demanding
Price
Free

About the book

"Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1" by Alexander von Humboldt is a scientific treatise published between 1845 and 1862. Born from lectures at the University of Berlin and shaped by Humboldt's explorations across the Americas and Asia, this influential work presents a unified vision of nature—from outer space to Earth. Humboldt argues that universal laws govern both celestial order and terrestrial chaos, inviting readers to perceive the wholeness and harmony underlying our physical world through both objective observation and subjective contemplation.

  • Science
  • Astronomy
  • Physical geography
  • Cosmography

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #14565. Cosmos on Wikipedia.

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