Gallery

Bayer Uranometria

ProMax

Johann Bayer's Uranometria, printed in Augsburg in 1603 and engraved by Alexander Mair, was the first star atlas to chart the entire celestial sphere across 51 copperplate plates, laying Greek-letter designations beside the stars. This system reads that atlas as a single hand-colored plate: a dark olive-slate wash carrying flat brass-gold star points, Greek labels, and gilt-highlighted allegorical figures — grave, archaic, and precisely gridded.

Learn more about the Bayer Uranometria style

  • OriginAugsburg, Germany
  • Period1603 (Augsburg; late Renaissance)
  • DesignerJohann Bayer · Alexander Mair
  • MovementsRenaissance celestial cartography · Bayer stellar designation system

Web examples

3

Slide examples

3