Cosmigraphics: Picturing Space Through Time

While Benson explains that this heavily illustrated, oversize title is not strictly a history of astronomy, his collection of dated astronomical "maps" from earliest times until today (with most representing the period from 1,000 to 2,000 CE) will beautifully complement such histories. Each chapter's lengthy introduction offers context to the images that follow; taken together, the summaries and image captions comprise a robust look at science, philosophy, and, often, theology, over time. Thematically arranged entries appear in chapters considering "Creation"; "Earth"; "The Sun"; "The Moon"; "The Structure of the Universe"; "Planets and Moons"; "Constellations, the Zodiac, and the Milky Way"; "Eclipses and Transits"; "Comets and Meteors"; and "Auroras and Atmospheric Phenomenon." The variety in the illustrations, some of which cover entire spreads, is a wonderful testament to the reaches of human imagination and to the progress of science over the centuries. Among the featured images are early paintings of concentric circles depicting water, air, fire, the night sky, and heaven; Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night; lunar photographs; and maps of Jupiter's moon Ganymede that were created between 1982 and 1989.