Planisphere of the Heavens
The Movable Planispheres of the Heavens at Every Minute,
cardboard aids to astronomy students, were published by Henry Whitall,
512 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1862. The sentence "To Astronomy
what a Map is to a Geographer" is at the center of each instrument and
the Greek alphabet, "as applied to the stars", is given for reference on
the left-hand side of the stationary, overlying part of it. The revolving
part has the stars (left-hand apparatus) or the constellations (right-hand
apparatus).
The description in the 1889 Queen catalogue is: "Whitall's
Planisphere. Showing the stars and constellations visible at any hour in
the evening, for every night of the year. The most simple and satisfactory
map of the heavens for the use of students and others extant. On strong
cardboard. 15 inches in diameter. ...$3.00" Queen also sold a version on
glass for use in a projector. These examples are at Washington and
Lee University.
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