The Moon, Planets, Stars… The Old Maps depict the Heavens in a stunning way, check them out by clicking at the poster below:-)
Tag Archives: celestial map
Hevelius and His Research of the Moon’s Surface
Map of the Surface of the Moon, 1710.
Published under the official title: Tabula Selenographica. Selenography is a scientific discipline focused on the mapping of the Moon’s surface. This map from the early 18th century is derived from the works of two scientists who stood at the beginning of the modern-era survey of the Moon: Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598-1671), an Italian astronomer who established a system of lunar nomenclature still used today, and the German-Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687).
Hevelius (in Polish Jan Heweliusz), originally from Gdansk and the son of wealthy brewers, was given an excellent education at the University of Leiden. After finishing his studies, he travelled Europe before returning to his hometown where he worked in the city administration. Besides his civil service, he also focused on astronomy, built his private observatory, and studied the heavens passionately. The Moon became his main interest; in 1647, his first work on lunar topography, called “Selenography”, was published, which gave this scientific discipline its name.
Buy restored reproduction of this map printed on a high quality handmade paper here.