PLANISPHERE

Or

THE ORBS OF THE WORLD

ACCORDING TO THE

PTOLEMAIC HYPOTHESIS

PTOLEMAIC,

A Machine

EXPOSED ON A PLANE

ACCORDING TO THE

PTOLEMAIC HYPOTHESIS.

A magnificent hand-colored celestial map illustrating the Ptolemaic (geocentric) system of the universe, from Andreas Cellarius's "Harmonia Macrocosmica" (1660). In the center of the diagram is a terrestrial globe showing the Northern Hemisphere, labeled "THE SUBLUNARY WORLD COMPRISING THE FOUR ELEMENTS," surrounded by a golden, fiery halo. Encircling the Earth are several concentric rings representing the celestial spheres of the known planets and the Sun, which revolve around the Earth in this model. Moving outward from the center, these spheres are labeled: 1. Sphere of the Moon, 2. Path of Mercury, 3. Circle of Venus, 4. Circle of the Sun, 5. Orbit of Mars, 6. Orbit of Jupiter, 7. Sphere of Saturn. The words "THE ORBS OF THE SEVEN PLANETS" are written in large capital letters across the central field. Each orbit contains illustrations of the planetary deities in chariots: the Sun as Apollo, the Moon as Diana, etc. The outermost ring is the "ZODIAC," divided into twelve sections featuring the names and astrological symbols of the signs: Capricorn ♑, Aquarius ♒, Pisces ♓, Aries ♈, Taurus ♉, Gemini ♊, Cancer ♋, Leo ♌, Virgo ♍, Libra ♎, Scorpio ♏, and Sagittarius ♐. The page is adorned with four corner illustrations: Top corners: Elaborate Baroque cartouches containing the title text, supported by winged female figures with serpentine bodies. Bottom Left: An elderly man in royal robes and a crown (identified as Claudius Ptolemy) sits studying a celestial globe with an assistant. Bottom Right: Another astronomer or scholar is depicted among various globes, books, and scientific instruments.