Catherine Whitwell: Astronomy & Creative Writing
Why write science in a creative style?
Catherine Whitwell wrote an introduction to the night sky as a conversational dialogue between a mother and daughter. It contains 23 engraved plates drawn by Whitwell herself, including four hand colored folding plates. One of the plates depicts the constellations of Corvus the Crow, Crater the Cup and Hydra the Water Snake. Another plate conveys a dramatic impression of the Full Moon at night, shown against a striking black background.
Elisabeth Hevelius: Observational Astronomer
How does the Sextant symbolize the person who worked on the famed Hevelius star catalog and star atlas throughout its production, from observation to publication?
Elisabeth Hevelius, wife of Johann Hevelius, was an astronomer in her own right. They worked together in the observatory of their Gdansk home to measure angular widths and distances with a great sextant, which required two observers at a time. The Sextant was among the new constellations they proposed in Uranographia (1690), the most detailed and influential celestial atlas of the 17th century. The Uranographia contains 54 beautiful double page engraved plates of 73 constellations, and 2 oversized folding plates of planispheres.
Orion the Hunter
Can you recognize Orion the Hunter?
Three bright stars in a row make up Orion's belt, within a rectangle of four bright stars representing his shoulders and feet. Since Orion's belt lies nearly upon the celestial equator, Orion is visible from every inhabited part of the globe. This OER introduces the astronomy and skylore of the constellation Orion the Hunter.
Urania's Mirror: Constellation Cards
What are your favorite constellations?
Urania's Mirror was a set of constellation cards designed to aid in the teaching and learning of constellations. This set includes 32 cards, each focused upon one or a few constellations. Holes punched in the positions of bright stars allow one to hold any card up to a light and compare the star pattern with the constellation figure.
OERs in this set:
- Urania's Mirror Learning Leaflet
- Urania's Mirror card set (full page)
- Urania's Mirror card set (half page)
- Constellation Activities
Urania's Mirror: card set (full page)
What are your favorite constellations?
Urania's Mirror was a set of constellation cards designed to aid in the teaching and learning of constellations. This set includes 32 cards, each focused upon one or a few constellations. Holes punched in the positions of bright stars allow one to hold any card up to a light and compare the star pattern with the constellation figure. This is the full-page set.
OERs in this set:
- Urania's Mirror Learning Leaflet
- Urania's Mirror card set (full page)
- Urania's Mirror card set (half page)
- Constellation Activities
Urania's Mirror: Constellation card set (half-page)
What are your favorite constellations?
Urania's Mirror was a set of constellation cards designed to aid in the teaching and learning of constellations. This set includes 32 cards, each focused upon one or a few constellations. Holes punched in the positions of bright stars allow one to hold any card up to a light and compare the star pattern with the constellation figure. This is the half-page set.
OERs in this set:
- Urania's Mirror Learning Leaflet
- Urania's Mirror card set (full page)
- Urania's Mirror card set (half page)
- Constellation Activities
Coma Berenices Learning Leaflet
Coma Berenices is the only one of the modern 88 official constellations named after a historical figure. It represents the hair of Berenice, Queen of Egypt (267 221 BCE), who reigned with Ptolemy III Euergetes. Learn more about this in this learning leaflet.
"Constellation Coloring Book" adapted from Johann Bode, "Uranographia"
Johann Bode, director of the Observatory of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, produced the last of the four major celestial atlases in which artful depictions of constellation figures appear alongside the most up-to-date scientific data. 20 large copperplate engravings plot more than 17,000 stars, far more than any previous atlas. Bode included new stars for the southern hemisphere, along with constellations recently invented by Hevelius and Lacaille. Bode depicted more than 100 constellations, compared with 88 officially recognized today. Some which appeared in this atlas for the first time, but are not officially recognized today, include the Cat, the Printing Press, the Montgolfier Balloon, and the Electric Generator.
This coloring book, produced by the OU Academy of the Lynx, was made from images in Bode's book.
OERs in this set: Bode Learning Leaflet | Constellation Activities | Bode Coloring Pages | Bode Original plates
Introduction to the Constellations
A short introduction to the constellations, able to be used alongside Urania's Mirror Constellation Set.
Bode's Star Atlas: Uranographia, 1801
What are your favorite constellations?
This beautiful star atlas fused artistic beauty and scientific precision, the last of the four major star atlases in which artful depictions of constellation figures appear alongside the most up to date scientific information. Bode was director of the Observatory of the Berlin Academy of Sciences.
OERs in this set: Bode Learning Leaflet | Constellation Activities | Bode Coloring Pages | Bode Original plates