400 years of the telescope
The collection 400 years of the telescope is a digital representation of a collection of almost 100 celestial maps and prints from the 17th through the 20th centuries. The annotated images (accessible by clicking on an image and next 'Full view of record') offer a varied overview of the development and highlights of 400 years of celestial cartography. This collection deals with two important astronomical milestones. First, in 2008 it was remembered that four centuries ago the telescope was invented in the Netherlands. Second, 2009 was the International Year of Astronomy.
Exhibition items (chronologically)
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Picture of Centaurus in the Phaenomena by Aratus van Soloi, [1600] -
Catalogue of southern stars from Frederik de Houtmans 'Spraeck ende woord-boek inde Maleysche ende Madagaskarsche Talen', 1603 -
Constellation of Argo Navis in the 'Uranometria' by Johannes Bayer, [1603] -
The southern constellations by Petrus Plancius in the 'Uranometria' by Johann Bayer, [1603] -
Pamphlet on the complete solar eclipse on August 12th, 1654 -
Pamphlet on the complete solar eclipse on August 12th, 1654 -
World map in two hemispheres by Frederik de Wit including constellation maps and cosmographic diagrams, 1660 -
Depiction of the christian constellations in the 'Harmonia Macrocosmica' by Andreas Cellarius (first volume), [1661] -
Depiction of the christian constellations in the 'Harmonia Macrocosmica' by Andreas Cellarius (second volume), [1661] -
Pamphlet on the comets of 1664 and 1665 -
Lunar map by Christoph Scheiner, [1682] -
17th Century ideas on the solar surface [1682] -
The large lunar map by Jean-Dominique Cassini, 1679 ([1787]) -
Constellation map in two hemispheres with cosmographic diagrams [c. 1680] -
Revolving constellation map by Claes Jansz. Vooght with explanations by Simon van der Molen, [c. 1680 (edition c. 1735)] -
The new constellations by Johannes Hevelius, 1687 -
The northern constellations according to Johannes Hevelius, 1686 -
The southern constellations according to Johannes Hevelius, 1686 -
The small lunar map by Cassini with nomenclature by Nikolaas Hartsoeker, [1699] -
Astronomical clock in the cathedral of Straatsburg, [1699] -
Astronomical clock in the Eglise St. Jean in Lyon, [1699] -
Pamphlet with a description of the world-time-clock by Zacharias Landteck, [c. 1705] -
Pamphlet with a description of the 'Leyden Sphaera', [1711] -
Lunar maps with nomenclature by Johannes Hevelius and Giovanni Baptista Riccioli, [1742] -
Map of the world, based on astronomically defined geographical positions, [1742] -
Map of the northern constellation, [1742] -
Map of the southern constellation, [1742] -
Constellations of the northern sky for the epoche 1731.0, based on the star catalogue by Johannes Hevelius, [1742] -
Constellations of the southern sky for the epoche 1731.0, based on the star catalogues by Johannes Hevelius and Edmund Halley, [1742] -
Internal image of the northern constellation, facing the northern equatorial pole, [1742] -
Internal image of the sky, facing the spring-equinox, [1742] -
Internal image of the sky, facing the equator below the solstice of the summer, [1742] -
Internal image of the sky, facing the autumn equinox, [1742] -
Internal image of the sky, facing the equator above the solstice of the winter, [1742] -
Internal image of the southern constellation, facing the southern equatorial pole, [1742] -
Pamphlet for the complete solar eclipse of May 22nd 1724 -
The zodiac signs Perseus and Andromeda in the star atlas by John Flamsteed, [1729] -
World map in two hemispheres, with various cosmographic diagrams, [1730] -
Geocentric image of the course of the planets in 1729, [1728] -
Geocentric image of the course of the planets in 1731 -
Geocentric image of the course of the planets in 1732 -
Map of the zodiac signs in two hemispheres [1732] -
Pamphlet for the complete lunar eclipse of December 1st 1732 -
Pamphlet with a world map in two hemispheres showing the complete solar eclipse of May 13th1733 -
Pamphlet for the celestial phenomena in 1736 -
Pamphlet for the partial lunar eclipse of September 9th 1737 -
Pamphlet with a world map in two hemispheres showing the lunar and solar eclipses in 1738, 1739, and 1740 (1738) -
Pamphlet for the annular solar eclipse of Augustus 4th 1739 -
Pamphlet with revolving disk for the annual solar eclipse of August 4th 1739 -
Pamphlet for the Mercurius passage on November 5th 1743 -
Pamphlet for the Mercurius passage on November 5th 1743 -
Pamphlet for the Mercurius passage on November 5th 1743 -
Necromancy print with depictions of the comets of 1742 and 1744, [c. 1744] -
Pamphlet for the visibility of the annular solar eclipse of 25 July 1748 -
Pamphlet of the annular solar eclipse of 25 July 1748 -
Map of the complete lunar eclipse of 19 June 1750 -
Map of the complete lunar eclipse of 13 December 1750 -
Pamphlet of the transitions of the planet Venus in front of the Sun from 918 to 2117, 1757 -
Mathematicians debating the right world view (after a play by Pieter Langendijk), [c. 1760] -
World map for the visibilty of the Venus transition of 6 June 1761, [1760] -
Pamphlet of the Venus transition of 6 June 1761 -
Celestial map in two hemispheres with six cosmographic diagrams, [c. 1762] -
Map of the southern sky with the new constellations by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille, 1763 -
Pamphlet of the annular solar eclipse of 1 April 1764 -
Pamphlet of the Venus transition of 3 June 1769 -
Pamphlet of the Venus transition of 3 June 1769, [1768] -
View on the comet of 1769 from the Amstel sluice in Amsterdam -
Map of the northern sky according to the French re-print of the celestial atlas by John Flamsteed, 1776 -
Map of a revolving sky map, [1779] -
Various diagrams explaining the solar system and nebula spots, [1779] -
Sun, Moon, and tidal table, 1785 -
Reduced re-print of the lunar map by Cassini, 1788 -
Map with diagrams and explanation of the annular solar eclipse of 5 September 1793, 1792 -
Map of the northern sky, 1798 -
Map of the southern sky, 1798 -
Overview map of the sky centered in the vernal equinox (Aries), 1801 -
Overview map of the sky centered in the autumnal equinox (Libra), 1801 -
Pamphlet of the annular soalr eclipse of 11 February 1804 -
World map for the visibility of the complete lunar eclipse of 11 July 1805 -
Scheme of the annular solar eclipse of 7 September 1820 -
Pamphlet of the annular solar eclipse of 7 September 1820 -
Manuscript map for the visibility of the annular solar eclipse of 7 September 1820 -
Celestial map with the predicted course of the Halley comet in 1835 -
Manuscript map with the predicted course of the Halley comet in 1835 -
Manuscript map for the visibility of the annular solar eclipse of 15 May 1836 -
Lunar map by Johann Heinrich von Mädler, 1837 -
The northern constellations in a Chinese celestial atlas, [1875] -
Two maps of the luminance distribution in the galaxy plane, [1920] -
Print from the ‘Utrecht solar atlas’, [1940]
Questions about this digital exhibition?
- Curator