OU Libraries logo

Citation

Published in: Urania's Mirror is a boxed set of 32 cards
Notes: 2nd ed.
Author: Jehoshaphat Aspin
Publication Location: London
Year: 1825

Item Location

Summary

Constellation figures remained popular in education, as in these constellation cards which make learning the constellations easy. The set includes 32 cards, each focused upon one or a few constellations. Holes punched in the positions of major stars allow one to hold any card up to a light and compare the star pattern with the constellation figure. The 80 constellations include several no longer recognized today, such as the Glory of Frederick, the Telescope of Herschel and the Harp of King George III. Urania, the Muse of Astronomy, appears on the cover of the box. This is the first edition; subsequent editions included stars outside the boundaries of the featured constellations. The creator of the cards remains a mystery. In a companion book providing a simple introduction to the night sky, Aspin explains only that the constellation cards “were designed by a lady.”

Related Items

Theme(s): Astronomy, Women and Science, Education, Art
Chronological Period: 19th century
Geographical Region(s): England, Europe
Resource Type: Book