The astrolabe is an astronomical calculating device used from ancient times into the eighteenth c
The Cosmos in Miniature: The Remarkable Star Map of Simeon De Witt
Grade Range: 9-12
Resource Type(s): Reference Materials, Primary Sources
Date Posted:
6/3/2010
Tell the story of early American science with an online exhibition and digital reproduction of the oldest surviving Anglo-American star map. This hand-drawn star map, created in 1780, reflects a story of scientific curiosity and the practical applications of astronomy in colonial America. Simeon De Witt, a map-maker who served as surveyor general under George Washington, created the map using astrolabe models and his own knowledge of the sky.