Ulm: 1716 publication 'De coloribus coeli' depicts disc-shaped aerial object
The 1716 treatise by Johann Caspar Funcke features cover art showing a circular flying object. Modern observers liken the illustration to contemporary flying saucer descriptions. The discovery highlights historical depictions of unexplained aerial phenomena.
Background
In 1716, the German scholar Johann Caspar Funcke published 'Liber de coloribus coeli' in Ulm. The book's frontispiece displays an unusual circular object resembling modern disc-shaped craft. This artwork predates powered flight by nearly two centuries.
The illustration shows a domed, saucer-like form that contemporary Ufologists interpret as an anomalous aerial phenomenon. Similar imagery appears in another Funcke publication, suggesting the author maintained interest in unusual celestial observations. The volume remained obscure until recent digital archiving.
An antiquarian collector acquired the damaged book following Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The Black Vault released documentation of this historical curiosity in 2016. Researchers may now access digitized versions through the Bavarian State Library archives.