Thinking Outside the Sphere: Views of the Stars from Aristotle to Herschel

Renaissance works of astronomy beautifully illustrate the stars fixed in a crystalline sphere at the perimeter of an earth-centered universe. This sphere of the fixed stars was thought to rotate, setting the lower spheres of the planets in motion in their orbits around the unmoving earth.

In his sun-centered system Copernicus retained the sphere of the fixed stars, but when he stopped its motion, it lost its role in moving the planets. The need for the stars to be restricted to a sphere fell away. Astronomers began to show the stars as differing in their distance from the earth, sometimes extending far into space.

After Descartes showed our sun among other stars with their own planetary systems, works of astronomy began to provide fascinating and breathtaking images of the stars as suns. The crystalline sphere, originally conceived in ancient times, was forever broken. Astronomers in the 1600's even described extraterrestrial life imagined on other worlds.

Finally, it was realized that our sun and the other stars are part of a star system. Astronomers began to suggest what shape it might take, and whether other galaxies might exist. Herschel's first map of the galaxy placed our sun near the center, restoring our special place in the universe. The books in the exhibit will range in date from the Renaissance through the eighteenth century.

Online Exhibitions

To order printed catalogs of any of these exhibitions, follow this link to Exhibition Catalogs.

William N. Deramus III Cosmology Theater

ViewSpace

The William N. Deramus III Cosmology Theater features ViewSpace, a program of the Space Telescope Science Institute, on a 114-inch display screen with a 1080i High Definition projection system.The theater currently features the ViewSpace program of the Space Telescope Science Institute. ViewSpace presents a series of educational features on topics related to space and space-based research. Most presentations are of ten minutes duration.

Other segments showcase scientific discoveries related to our planet and its environment. These show spectacular views of Earth events such as hurricanes, floods, and forest fires. Also available are segments which provide information on where to look in the night sky to see planets, constellations, meteor showers and other events visible during the current month.

Regular coverage is given to the latest discoveries made with the Hubble Space Telescope and other astronomical resources from around and above the world. ViewSpace presents a series of educational and inspiring short features (most ten minutes or less)