Delphinus Constellation, 1482

Delphinus Constellation, 1482

Delphinus is a constellation in the northern sky, close to the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for dolphin. Delphinus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains among the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. It is one of the smaller constellations, ranked 69th in size. Delphinus' brightest stars form a distinctive asterism that can easily be recognized. Poeticon astronomicon is a star atlas whose authorship is disputed. The work was originally attributed to the Roman historian Gaius Julius Hyginus (64 BC - AD 17). The book lists most of the constellations in the same order as Ptolemy's Almagest (2nd century AD) which has led many to believe that a more recent Hyginus created the text. The Poeticon astronomicon was not formally published until 1482, by Erhard Ratdolt. He commissioned a series of woodcuts, but the relative positions of the stars bear little resemblance to the descriptions given by Hyginus in the text or the actual positions of the stars in the sky.

Album / Science Source / U.S. Naval Observatory Library

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3300 x 4626 px | 43.7 MB

27.9 x 39.2 cm | 11.0 x 15.4 in (300 dpi)