Scorpius Constellation, Zodiac, 1482

Scorpius Constellation, Zodiac, 1482

Scorpius, sometimes known as Scorpio, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for scorpion. It is one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac, linked to the constellation of Scorpius. It spans the 210-240th degree of the zodiac, an area which the Sun transits on average between October 23 and November 22 each year. Poeticon astronomicon is a star atlas whose authorship is disputed. The work was originally attributed to the Roman historian Gaius Julius Hyginus (64 BC - AD 17). The book lists most of the constellations in the same order as Ptolemy's Almagest (2nd century AD) which has led many to believe that a more recent Hyginus created the text. The Poeticon astronomicon was not formally published until 1482, by Erhard Ratdolt. He commissioned a series of woodcuts, but the relative positions of the stars bear little resemblance to the descriptions given by Hyginus in the text or the actual positions of the stars in the sky.

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38.1 x 29.3 cm | 15.0 x 11.5 in (300 dpi)