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Designed For Amateur Astronomers and Casual Stargazers

This celestial map was created by JB Bartak in 1827 and engraved by Aigner and Duschet in Vienna, intended for a popular audience.  It includes an early use of straight lines to connect the stars in the visible sky.

The map serves as a practical astronomical tool for recognizing the most significant stars and constellations visible from the Northern Hemisphere throughout the year. The map employs a polar equatorial stereographic projection in concave vision, centering on the North Celestial Pole, a format that aids in understanding the sky’s rotation over time.

Covering celestial objects from the equatorial region up to approximately -30° declination, the map provides an accurate representation of the visible sky for observers in Germany and other mid-latitude northern locations. Notably, the bright star Fomalhaut appears at the top right, marking the southernmost extent of the chart. Unlike traditional star charts of the time, Bartak's map omits mythological constellation figures and formal constellation boundaries. Instead, it introduces an innovative system in which prominent stars within each constellation are connected by straight lines, forming distinctive geometric shapes—an approach that foreshadows modern astronomical maps.

The chart includes a scale for measuring right ascension along the equatorial circle, with a graduated degree scale marked at 10-degree intervals. Additionally, small grids positioned in the lower left corner enable users to estimate both declination and right ascension for specific stars. Along the edges of the map, Bartak provides two lists—one in German and one in Latin—featuring the names of the most significant classical constellations and, in some cases, their brightest stars.

The stars depicted are categorized into five classes of magnitude, based on observations from Giuseppe Piazzi’s Praecipuarum Stellarum Inerrantium Positiones mediae ineunte Saeculo XIX (1803, revised in 1814). The Milky Way is carefully illustrated using a stippled shading technique, adding depth and accuracy to the celestial representation.

Designed for amateur astronomers and casual stargazers, this map is remarkable for its clarity and functionality. Bartak’s decision to forgo excessive decorative elements in favor of a clean, practical design marks a transition toward modern celestial cartography. By eliminating unnecessary embellishments and prioritizing ease of use, this chart stands as an important 19th-century contribution to the visualization of the night sky. 

Rarity

We locate two examples:  Linda Hall Library and Osterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften