Philips' Chart of the Stars. Edited by E. O. Tancock, F.R.A.S.

PHILIP, George & Son, Ltd.

Edité par Printed in Great Britain by George Philip & Son Ltd. ., 1947

A propos de cet article

Original large chromolithographed celestial chart (94 x 116 cm) backed onto linen and folding between publishers' original blue card covers (20.5 x 13.5 cm) decorated with constellations. Old ownership inscription to verso. One small split along fold, some light tongin along folds visible to verso, covers lightly toned, the chart itself generally in very good condition. The original Philips' Chart of the Stars, first issued in 1940 under the editorship of the English schoolmaster Ernest Osborne Tancock (1886 1971), was for many years a staple fixture on the walls of amateur astronomers everywhere. The chart is divided into a rectangular section covering the equatorial region of the sky along with two polar hemispheres, thereby encompassing the entire night sky. The chart shows all stars visible to the naked eye under good conditions, and is usable from any latitude. As well as the descriptive text, the surrounding sheet contains tables of the 88 constellations, the brightest stars, double stars, variables, and deep-sky objects of interest to observers. The History of Philip's Star Chart: Philips' Chart of the Stars edited by E. O. Tancock was first published in September 1940 during World War II. It went through two editions and over a dozen reprints under Tancock's name over more than 40 years, even after his death. As well as the standard fold-out version, available either on paper or linen, it was sold on rollers for hanging on a wall. No doubt many people referred to the chart during the wartime blackout when stars shone undimmed by artificial lights. The top half of the chart consisted of a rectangular strip of sky extending from the celestial equator to declinations 55° north and south, headed 'Stars of the Middle Heavens' (which some people took to be the title of the whole thing). In the bottom half were two roundels covering the north and south polar regions to declination +38° 30' for the north and 40° for the south. When fully opened the chart measured approximately 37 inches high by 46 inches wide. Stars down to 5th magnitude were plotted, although brightness estimates were not so accurate in those days so the cut-off at the fainter end was somewhat uneven. Between the polar charts were printed descriptive notes plus tables of the Greek alphabet, signs of the zodiac, first-magnitude stars, easy double stars, the brightest variable stars, and selected star clusters and nebulae. Philips' Chart of the Stars became widely popular and soon established itself as the standard wallchart for anyone interested in the sky, in much the same way that Norton's Star Atlas was the standard atlas. It is remarkable to think that in the mid 20th century two modest English schoolteachers had come to dominate the international market for astronomical charts. Unlike Norton, though, Tancock did not draw his own charts. Rather, they were the work of The London Geographical Institute, a division of the map publishers George Philip and Son. (Ian Ridpath).

N° de réf. du vendeur 62279

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Philips' Chart of the Stars. Edited by E. O. Tancock, F.R.A.S.
• Éditeur: Printed in Great Britain by George Philip & Son Ltd. .
• Date de parution: 1947
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • MAPS - CELESTIAL