Celestial cartography, uranography,astrography or star cartography is the aspect of astronomy and branch of cartography concerned with mapping stars, galaxies, and other astronomical objects on the celestial sphere. Measuring the position and light of charted objects requires a variety of instruments and techniques. These techniques have developed from angle measurements with quadrants and the unaided eye, through sextants combined with lenses for light magnification, up to current methods which include computer-automated space telescopes. Uranographers have historically produced planetary position tables, star tables, and star maps for use by both amateur and professional astronomers. More recently, computerized star maps have been compiled, and automated positioning of telescopes uses databases of stars and of other astronomical objects.
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Star atlas in the context of Harmonia Macrocosmica
The Harmonia Macrocosmica is a star atlas written by Andreas Cellarius and published in 1660 by Johannes Janssonius. The first part of the atlas contains copper plate prints depicting the world systems of Claudius Ptolemy, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Tycho Brahe. At the end are star maps of the classical and further constellations, the latter ones as introduced by Julius Schiller in his Coelum stellatum christianum of 1627.
For its importance in the history of cartography, particularly of celestial cartography, the Harmonia Macrocosmica is considered one of the notable masterworks from the Golden Age of Dutch/Netherlandish cartography (c. 1570s–1670s), along with Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum and Johannes Blaeu's Atlas Maior. It is often described as the most beautiful celestial atlas ever published.
Star atlas in the context of Andreas Cellarius
Andreas Cellarius (c. 1596–1665) was a Dutch–German cartographer and cosmographer best known for his 1660 Harmonia Macrocosmica, a major star atlas.
Star atlas in the context of Julius Schiller
Julius Schiller (c. 1580 – 1627) was a lawyer from Augsburg who, like his fellow citizen and colleague Johann Bayer, published a star atlas in celestial cartography.
In the year of his death, Schiller, with Bayer's assistance, published the star atlas Coelum Stellatum Christianum which replaced the pagan names of constellations with biblical and early Christian figures. Specifically, Schiller replaced the zodiacal constellations with the twelve apostles, the northern constellations by figures from the New Testament, and the southern constellations by figures from the Old Testament.
Star atlas in the context of Coelum stellatum christianum
The Coelum Stellatum Christianum is a star atlas published in 1627 by Julius Schiller (c. 1580–1627), with the collaboration of Johann Bayer (1572–1625). In the treatise, which was published by Andreas Aperger at Augsburg during the same year as Schiller's death, pagan constellations were replaced with biblical figures and Christian motifs. Schiller replaced the zodiac constellations with the Twelve Apostles, the northern constellations with New Testament figures, and the southern constellations with Old Testament figures.
The planets, the Sun, and the Moon were also replaced by biblical figures:
Star atlas in the context of Uranometria
Uranometria is a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer. It was published in Augsburg in 1603 by Christoph Mang (Christophorus Mangus) under the full title Uranometria: omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa (from Latin: Uranometria, containing charts of all the constellations, drawn by a new method and engraved on copper plates). The word "uranometria", from Ancient Greek οὐρανός (ouranós) 'sky, heavens' and μέτρον (metron) 'measure', literally translates to "measuring the heavens".
It was the first atlas to cover the entire celestial sphere.