Alexe Marin, traducătorul lucrării Prescurtare de astronomie populară (1839)

The study focuses on the first text of astronomy published in Romanian, Prescurtare de astronomie populară [‘Abbreviation of Popular Astronomy’], in 1839. In most important lexicographic works such as DLR, MDA and DELR, the author is considered to be a certain G. Missail. We offer sufficient evidence that “G. Missail”, appearing on the front page, is only a mark of an ex libris type and that the translator is actually Alexe Marin. We also explain how this error regarding the paternity of the text has occurred in speciality literature. Subsequently, we identify the main source of the translation (the French version of John Herschel’s treaty on astronomy) and examine some of Marin’s translation techniques.