The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-06
The CONSULTATIONS.
Origin Of ths Figures which Appear in
Stellar Maps.
Rochester, DemocraS

Origin Of the Figures which Appear in
Stellar Maps.
Rochester, Democrat
Professor Edward s. Holden, Of the Lick
observatory, In . recent contribution 70
the Astronomical Society Of the Pacific,
stated the origin of the constellation fig-
ures which appear in the modern star maps.
These figures are familiar TO almost every
student OF astronomy through the we'll
known maps of Burritt. The figures in the
Burritt maps are usually printed in tints.
The outlines of the figures resem-
bic in some respects the line IL
Illustrations of Homer By Flaxman.
Professor Holden says the figures OF the
consultations were by Albert Durer, the
great German painter. The fact is not
stated by the painters biographers. and
the identity Of the artist who drew the fig-
ures Is not generally known to students of
astronomy. These figures win have greater
interest for students from this time for
ward. Some Of the figures of the constel-
lations are of very remote antiquity. sew
eral consultations being mentioned in the
early Hebrew Scriptures. Figures were
added from time 70 time by different
astronomers up TO the time Of the inven-
ton of the telescope. which 10 now among
the considerations. One of the Ptolemies
added Berenice's Hair to the list Bere-
nice was . common name for the wives and
sisters of the Ptolemies. Hipparchus had
arranged many of the figures of the constei-
Iations 127 B. c. CIaudius Ptolemy, the great
astronomer Of Alexandria in the second
century Of the Christian era. continued the
work OF Hipparchus and prepared celestial
globes with the figures Of ancient times in
their proper places The globes Of Ptolemy
were lost when the great institutions of
learning in Alexandria we're destroyed.
The Arabian astronomers alone preserved
the grouping Of Ptolemy's figures and
handed them down from generation to
generation. Some OF the Arabian copies
dating back to the thirteenth century are
still in existence. Ptolemy described forty
eight considerations in distinction from
such consultations as the telescope and
other modern devices.
In 1915. according to Lalande, Albert
Durer published at Nuremberg two star
maps with figures drawn by himself and
engraved on wood. The maps represented
the two hemispheres of the heavens, and
the stars were located by Heinfogel, q
mathematician OF Nuremberg. Durer was
himself q geometrician and greatly inter-
ested in scientific research, having written
treatise on geometry and fortfcation.
The fgurers drawn by Durer have not
been changed to any great extent in all the
copies that have been made. These figures
appear in Highlander star maps of ls43,
and in the star atlas, by Heis, of ls7o
Several American star maps copy these
figures with slight changes. Some en-
gravers. however, have made the figures
more elaborate than the originals. In some
maps the figures are quite graceful, with
an expression of animation.
A few modern map makers have dis
pensed with the figures altogether, giving
merely the boundaries of the constella-
lions. This neglect OF the classical figures
is to be regretted, especially in elementary
works on astronomy. Working astrono-
mers do not care much for the figures. al
though they help q teacher somewhat in
locating stars. The sentiment connected
with these figures in classical story should
not be allowed to die. Let the student con-
tinue TO see Cassiopeia, Andromeda. Orion
and Bootes among the stars. The classical
stories Of the old astronomy books are also
worthy OF preservation, and should not be
omitted from the new text books. These
stories are part of the history OF astronomy
and give an idea OF the poetic farcies OF the
East before authentic history began. The
authors Of these beautiful myths are I'M
known. The stories of Arcturus and
Orion were doubtless old In the time of
Job. These myths survived. although the
histories of the people who invented them
were lost