Star Atlases, Mercator Globes and Celestial Sundries
July 1, 2005 6:44 AM Subscribe
Every night, a pageant of Greek mythology circles overhead. Perseus flies to the rescue of Andromeda, Orion faces the charge of the snorting bull, Boötes herds the bears around the pole, and the ship of the Argonauts sails in search of the golden fleece.
Holy crap this is great. But then again I would think so ;) Star atlases are the most beautiful things in the world, and the stories behind them are fascinating - part of mankind's attempt to bring order to something he might never have been meant to understand. Happy happy happy.
posted by iconomy at 7:10 AM on July 1, 2005
Holy crap this is great. But then again I would think so ;) Star atlases are the most beautiful things in the world, and the stories behind them are fascinating - part of mankind's attempt to bring order to something he might never have been meant to understand. Happy happy happy.
posted by iconomy at 7:10 AM on July 1, 2005
Woops. I linked to the wrong page of Star Tales. It should be this one.
posted by sciurus at 7:15 AM on July 1, 2005
posted by sciurus at 7:15 AM on July 1, 2005
Star atlases are the most beautiful things in the world
Hear, hear. I got to attend a talk by stellar cartographer Wil Tirion this April (at the Northeast Astronomy Forum). He went over the history of star charts as well as the story of his own career and his steadily evolving methods. His charts, detailed, accurate, and scientific, are works of art. I hope that he won't prove to be the last great maker of printed charts, but only time will tell.
posted by Songdog at 9:50 AM on July 1, 2005
Hear, hear. I got to attend a talk by stellar cartographer Wil Tirion this April (at the Northeast Astronomy Forum). He went over the history of star charts as well as the story of his own career and his steadily evolving methods. His charts, detailed, accurate, and scientific, are works of art. I hope that he won't prove to be the last great maker of printed charts, but only time will tell.
posted by Songdog at 9:50 AM on July 1, 2005
After preview, review, and post:
Holy cow, sciurus, Ridpath has put Star Tales online? What a fantastic resource! This is truly a great post, and thanks.
posted by Songdog at 9:53 AM on July 1, 2005
Holy cow, sciurus, Ridpath has put Star Tales online? What a fantastic resource! This is truly a great post, and thanks.
posted by Songdog at 9:53 AM on July 1, 2005
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The Transit of Venus
Selenographia
Star Tales
iconomy's post is worth revisiting as well.
The Two-Headed Calf
Tomorrow when the farm boys find this
freak of nature, they will wrap his body
in newspaper and carry him to the museum.
But tonight he is alive and in the north
field with his mother. It is a perfect
summer evening: the moon rising over
the orchard, the wind in the grass. And
as he stares into the sky, there are
twice as many stars as usual.
-Laura Gilpin
posted by sciurus at 6:47 AM on July 1, 2005