Virgo. Image source: Bode, Johann Elert. Uranographia. Berlin, 1801, pl. 14.

Out of This World

The Golden Age of the Celestial Atlas

20. Seller, John. Atlas coelestis. London, 1700?

John Seller was the royal hydrographer in Restoration England, and he was highly esteemed as a maker of instruments and maps. His star atlas was first published in 1680, and our edition appears to be a relatively unchanged second issue. The atlas is most notable for its "handiness"; it is truly portable, and it was in fact the first pocket atlas of the stars. 

Auriga and Perseus. Image source: Seller, John. Atlas Cœlestis. London, 1700.

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Unfortunately, it has little else to recommend it. The star positions are accurate enough, but the constellation figures are generally unattractive; certainly the figure of Aquarius shown here shows little influence of the beautiful Aquarius image of Johann Bayer's Uranometria. For a comparison of the Seller and Bayer depictions of Aquarius, see below.

Aquarius by John. Image source: Seller, John. Atlas Cœlestis. London, 1700.

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Aquarius by Johann. Image source: Bayer, Johannes. Uranometria. Augsburg: Excudit Christophorus Mangus, 1603.

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