Mapping the Universe: Exploring and chronicling the cosmos

Ever since man first raised his eyes heavenwards, we have been fascinated with the skies, stars and what might lie beyond. Unlocking the mysteries of the universe was a preoccupation of astronomers such as Ptolemy, Galileo and Copernicus. Some of these early thinkers risked their lives and reputations by suggesting shockingly that God and the Earth were not central to universal design. Their revolutionary findings sparked a desire to discover and explain the mysteries that lie beyond our world, which continues to this day. This book presents a selection of beautiful illustrations of the increasingly observable cosmos, from hand-colored maps of ancient times to photographs of distant galaxies viewed through powerful, state-of-the-art space telescopes.