Editing Codex Leicester (section)

==Manuscript==
The leather-bound notebook comprises 36 sheets, 29&nbsp;×&nbsp;22&nbsp;cm. The manuscript is not a single linear script but a mixture of Leonardo's observations and theories on [[astronomy]] and the properties of water, rocks, fossils, air, and celestial light. The topics addressed include:<ref name="bluk" />

* An explanation of why [[fossil]]s of sea creatures can be found on mountains. Hundreds of years before [[plate tectonics]] became accepted scientific theory, Leonardo believed that mountains had previously formed sea beds, which were gradually lifted until they formed mountains.<ref name="bluk" />
* The [[Hydrodynamics|movement of water]]. This is the main topic of the Codex Leicester. Among other things, Leonardo wrote about the flow of water in rivers and how it is affected by different obstacles put in its way. He made recommendations about bridge construction and [[erosion]] from his observations.<ref name="bluk">{{cite web|title=An introduction to Leonardo da Vinci's Codices Arundel and Leicester|url=https://www.bl.uk/ttp2/pdf/leonardodean.pdf|access-date=11 February 2017|archive-date=11 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011102306/http://www.bl.uk/ttp2/pdf/leonardodean.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The luminosity of the [[Moon]]. Leonardo speculated that the Moon's surface is covered by water, reflecting the Sun's light. In this model, waves on the water's surface cause the light to be reflected in many directions, explaining why the Moon is not as bright as the Sun. Leonardo explained that the pale glow on the dark portion of the crescent Moon is caused by sunlight reflected from the Earth. Thus, he described the phenomenon of [[planetshine]] one hundred years before the German astronomer [[Johannes Kepler]] proved it.<ref name="bluk" />

The codex consists of 18 sheets of paper, each folded in half and written on both sides, forming the complete 72-page document.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oldbid.com/news/decoart/the-most-expensive-antique-items-ever-sold-part-ii/|title=The Most Expensive Antique Items Ever Sold: Part II|date=2 August 2018|access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref> At one time the sheets were bound together, but they are now displayed separately. It was handwritten in [[Italian language|Italian]] by Leonardo, using his characteristic [[mirror writing]], and supported by copious drawings and diagrams.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090830/spectrum/art.htm|website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref>