Publisher's Synopsis
In this colorful and image-rich history of humanity's mapping of the cosmos, author Anne Rooney has assembled a selection of beautiful illustrations, maps, drawings, digital images, and cave art, too - all chronicling the many ways mankind has looked to the stars and tried to make a map of the universe over millennia. The book opens with a tour of the notes and diagrams of the ancient world's cosmic cartographers, from the Ptolemaic Egyptians to Copernicus. The Sun and the Moon each get their own chapters, as do all of Earth's planetary neighbors, charted and drawn more than other objects, since they could be easily seen and viewed by early scientists.
The science and tools of modern era space exploration close out the book, with a range of scientific sketches, plates, and pictures from 19th century scientists, to the most recent photos from satellites, larger telescopes. and spacecraft, too. Each of the hundreds of images feature detailed captions explaining the date and source, and an extensive index makes it easy to find the famed astronomer or period being researched.
The perfect book for the backyard astronomer or the more serious stargazer, Mapping the Universe is an informative and accessible look at how people have tried to map the infinity of space since our eyes first turned skyward. Jacketed hardcover.
