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This set of thirty-two engraved and hand-coloured celestial star charts were first printed in 1824 to help teach the constellations.
Names and stories have been given to the patterns that stars make in the sky throughout history and across many different cultures. These patterns are grouped into figures, called contellations.
Date
1820 - 1825
Made from
Cardboard, tissue paper
Made by
Sidney Hall and Samuel Leigh
Museum reference
T.1972.10.A to T.1972.10.Z. Also T.1972.10.AA, T.1972.10.AB, T.1972.10.AC, T.1972.10.AD, T.1972.10.AE
See all image references in menu below.
Did you know?
At its inaugural meeting in 1922 in Rome, the International Astronomical Union standardised the constellation names and abbreviations.
Celestial globes show the stars as they appear from Earth. Creating a completely new star map is an immense undertaking, and old versions were often copied.
Islamic and European globes have many of the same constellations, but usually show them in different ways. The human figures on European globes are normally drawn facing in towards the Earth, which is imagined at the centre of the celestial globe. On Islamic globes, the figures face to look out towards the person using the globe.
Some southern constellations were named as late as the 18th century, such as Horologium, the clock. Several of these constellations are shown on this globe.
This hollow brass glove is an amazing feat of metal work. It was cast in one piece without joins. The silver dots represent stars.
