Urania's Mirror

File:Urania's Mirror Box (Front).jpg

Urania's Mirror illustrates 79 constellations on 32 separate cards. Some of the illustrated constellations are now obsolete, as are some of the subconstellations, such as Caput Medusæ (the head of Medusa, carried by Perseus). Urania's Mirror was originally advertised as including "all the constellations visible in the British Empire", but, in fact, it left out some southern constellations. By the second edition (1825), advertisements merely claimed illustration of the constellations visible from "Great Britain". Some cards focus on a single constellation, others include several, with Card 32, centered on Hydra, illustrating twelve constellations (several of which are no longer recognised). Card 28 has six, and no other card has more than four. Each card measures 8 inches by {{frac|5|1|2}} (about 20 by 14 cm). A book by Jehoshaphat Aspin entitled A Familiar Treatise on Astronomy (or, to give its full name, A Familiar Treatise on Astronomy, Explaining the General Phenomena of the Celestial Bodies; with Numerous Graphical Illustrations) was written to accompany the cards. The cards and book came in a box illustrated with a woman almost certainly intended to be Urania, muse of astronomy. The cards and book were originally published by Samuel Leigh, 18 Strand, London,{{cite journal|last=Hingley|first=P. D. |date=1994|title=Urania's Mirror — A 170-year old mystery solved?|journal= Journal of the British Astronomical Association|volume=104|issue=5|pages=238–40|url=https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1994JBAA..104..238H|bibcode = 1994JBAA..104..238H }} p. [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/gif/1994JBAA..104..238H/0000238.000.html 238] although, by the fourth edition, the publishing firm had moved to 421 Strand and changed its name to M. A. Leigh.{{cite journal|last=Hingley|first=P. D. |date=1994|title=Urania's Mirror — A 170-year old mystery solved?|journal= Journal of the British Astronomical Association|volume=104|issue=5|pages=238–40|url=https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1994JBAA..104..238H|bibcode = 1994JBAA..104..238H }} p. [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/gif/1994JBAA..104..238H/0000239.000.html 239] (illus.)

P.D. Hingley calls Urania's Mirror "one of the most charming and visually attractive of the many aids to astronomical self-instruction produced in the early nineteenth century". On its main gimmick, the holes in the stars meant to show the constellation when held in front of a light, he notes that, as the size of the holes marked correspond to the magnitude of the stars, a quite realistic depiction of the constellation is provided. Ian Ridpath mostly concurs. He describes the device as an "attractive feature", but notes that, due to the light at the time being provided primarily by candles, many cards likely burned up due to carelessness when trying to hold them in front of the flame. He notes three other attempts to use the same gimmick—Franz Niklaus König's Atlas céleste (1826), Friedrich Braun's Himmels-Atlas in transparenten Karten (1850), and Otto Möllinger's Himmelsatlas (1851), but states that they lack Urania's Mirror's artistry.

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File:Alexander Jamieson Celestial Atlas-Plate 7 - restoration - crop.jpg|A Celestial Atlas, Plate 7

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis.jpg|Urania's Mirror, Plate 10

The depictions of the constellations in Urania's Mirror are redrawings from those in Alexander Jamieson's A Celestial Atlas, published about three years earlier, and include unique attributes differing from Jamieson's sky atlas, including the new constellation of Noctua the owl, and Norma Nilotica – a measuring device for the Nile floods – held by Aquarius the water bearer.

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| caption = Advertisement for Urania's Mirror from December 1824, suggesting it would make an "acceptable" Christmas present.

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Advertisements for Urania's Mirror, as well as the introduction to its companion book A Familiar Treatise on Astronomy, credit the design of the cards simply to a "lady", who is described in the introduction of the book as being "young". This led to speculation as to her identity. Some proposed prominent female astronomers such as Caroline Herschel and Mary Somerville, others credited the engraver Sidney Hall. The designer's identity remained unknown for 170 years. In 1994, while archiving early election certificates used to propose people to be admitted to the Royal Astronomical Society, P. D. Hingley found one proposing the Reverend Richard Rouse Bloxam and naming him as "Author of Urania's Mirror". While he had several notable sons, he has no other known publications, his main distinction being to have served as assistant master at Rugby School for 38 years.

The reasons for the disguise are unknown. Hingley notes that many contemporary publications attempted to suggest women had played a role in their creation, perhaps to make them sound less threatening. He suggests that anonymity might have been necessary to protect Bloxam's position at Rugby, but notes Rugby was quite progressive, which makes this unlikely; and, finally, suggests modesty as a possibility.{{cite journal|last=Hingley|first=P. D. |date=1994|title=Urania's Mirror — A 170-year old mystery solved?|journal= Journal of the British Astronomical Association|volume=104|issue=5|pages=238–40|url=https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1994JBAA..104..238H|bibcode = 1994JBAA..104..238H }} p. [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/gif/1994JBAA..104..238H/0000240.000.html 240] Ian Ridpath, noting the plagiarism of the art from A Celestial Atlas, suggests that this alone might be sufficient to cause the author to wish to remain anonymous.

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File:Aspin-1825-Pisces.jpg|First edition "Pisces", without stars in the surrounding constellations. "Plain".

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Pisces.jpg|Second edition "Pisces", with the surrounding stars. "Fully coloured".

A December 1824 advertisement, which states the cards were "just published", offered the cards "plain" at £1/8s or "fully coloured" for £1/14s. This first edition did not include any stars surrounding the named constellations, leaving those parts blank. This was changed for the second edition, which added back stars around those constellations. An American edition was published in 1832. Modern reprints were produced in 1993, and Barnes & Noble reproduced the American edition (with accompanying book) in 2004. The accompanying book, A Familiar Treatise on Astronomy by Jehoshaphat Aspin went through at least four editions, with the last coming out in 1834. The second edition featured a marked expansion in content, growing from 121 pages in the first edition to 200 pages in the second. The book, by the time of the 1834 American edition, consisted of an introduction, a list of the northern and southern constellations, a description of each of the plates, with the history and background of the constellations depicted, and an alphabetical list of named stars (such as Achernar) with their Bayer designation, magnitude, and respective constellation.Taken from the reproduction of the book included in the 2004 Barnes and Noble facsimile edition of the Urania's Mirror set.

A "Second Part" of Urania's Mirror, which was to have included illustrations of the planets and a portable orrery, was advertised,{{cite journal |title=[Advertisement] |journal=The Quarterly Literary Advertiser (Part of the Quarterly Literary Journal) |publisher=John Sharpe|location=Duke-Street, Piccadilly, London |volume=October 1828 |pages=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HKdZAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA677|year=1828 }} but no evidence exists to show it was ever released.

File:Sidney_Hall_-_Urania's_Mirror_-_Draco_and_Ursa_Minor.jpg|Plate 1: Draco and Ursa Minor

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Camelopardalis, Tarandus and Custos Messium.jpg|Plate 2: Camelopardalis, Tarandus and Custos Messium

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Cassiopeia (image right side up).jpg|Plate 3: Cassiopeia

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Cepheus.jpg|Plate 4: Cepheus

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Gloria Frederici, Andromeda, and Triangula.jpg|Plate 5: Gloria Frederici, Andromeda, and TriangulaAn obsolete plural form of the name of the constellation Triangulum

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Perseus.jpg|Plate 6: Perseus and Caput Medusæ

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Auriga.jpg|Plate 7: Auriga

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Lynx and Telescopium Herschilii.jpg|Plate 8: Lynx and Telescopium Herschilii

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Ursa Major.jpg|Plate 9: Ursa Major

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis.jpg|Plate 10: Boötes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Hercules and Corona Borealis.jpg|Plate 11: Hercules and Corona Borealis

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Taurus Poniatowski, Serpentarius, Scutum Sobiesky, and Serpens.jpg|Plate 12: Taurus Poniatowski, Ophiuchus, Scutum Sobiesky, and Serpens

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, and Antinous.jpg|Plate 13: Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, and Antinous

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Lacerta, Cygnus, Lyra, Vulpecula and Anser.jpg|Plate 14: Lacerta, Cygnus, Lyra, and Vulpecula and Anser

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Pegasus and Equuleus (best currently available version - 2014).jpg|Plate 15: Pegasus and Equuleus

Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Aries and Musca Borealis.jpg|Plate 16: Aries and Musca Borealis

Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Taurus.jpg|Plate 17: Taurus

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Gemini.jpg|Plate 18: Gemini

File:Sidney_Hall_-_Urania's_Mirror_-_Cancer.jpg|Plate 19: Cancer

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Leo Major and Leo Minor.jpg|Plate 20: Leo Major and Leo Minor

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Virgo.jpg|Plate 21: Virgo

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Libra.jpg|Plate 22: Libra

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Scorpio.jpg|Plate 23: Scorpio

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Sagittarius and Corona Australis, Microscopium, and Telescopium.png|Plate 24: Sagittarius and Corona Australis, Microscopium, and Telescopium

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Capricornus.jpg|Plate 25: Capricornus

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Aquarius, Piscis Australis & Ballon Aerostatique.jpg|Plate 26: Aquarius, Piscis Australis & Ballon Aerostatique

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Pisces.jpg|Plate 27: Pisces

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Psalterium Georgii, Fluvius Eridanus, Cetus, Officina Sculptoris, Fornax Chemica, and Machina Electrica.jpg|Plate 28: Psalterium Georgii, Fluvius Eridanus, Cetus, Officina Sculptoris, Fornax Chemica, and Machina Electrica

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Orion (best currently available version - 2014).jpg|Plate 29: Orion

Sidney_Hall_-_Urania's_Mirror_-_Canis_Major,_Lepus,_Columba_Noachi_&_Cela_Sculptoris.jpg|Plate 30: Canis Major, Lepus, Columba Noachi & Cela Sculptoris

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Monoceros, Canis Minor, and Atelier Typographique.jpg|Plate 31: Monoceros, Canis Minor, and Atelier Typographique

File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Noctua, Corvus, Crater, Sextans Uraniæ, Hydra, Felis, Lupus, Centaurus, Antlia Pneumatica, Argo Navis, and Pyxis Nautica.jpg|Plate 32: Noctua, Corvus, Crater, Sextans Uraniæ, Hydra, Felis, Lupus, Centaurus, Antlia Pneumatica, Argo Navis, and Pyxis Nautica

The constellations depicted, in the order they are listed on the cards, are:

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• Draco
• Ursa Minor
• Camelopardalis
• Tarandus (obsolete, representing a reindeer, also called Rangifer){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html |title=Rangifer|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Custos Messium (obsolete, literally translated as the Harvest Keeper, but intended as a pun on the comet hunter Charles Messier.){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/custosmessium.html |title=Custos Messium|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Cassiopeia
• Cepheus
• Gloria Frederici (obsolete, also called Honores Friderici, meant to commemorate Frederick the Great){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/honoresfriderici.html|title=Honores Friderici|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Andromeda
• Triangula
• Perseus
• Auriga
• Lynx
• Telescopium Herschilii (obsolete, the Telescope of William Herschel){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/telher.html|title=Telescopium Herschilii|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Ursa Major
• Boötes
• Canes Venatici
• Coma Berenices
• Quadrans Muralis (obsolete, created by Lalande to commemorate the wall-mounted quadrant he and his nephew used to measure star positions){{cite web|url= http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/quadrans.html |title=Quadrans Muralis|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Hercules
• Corona Borealis
• Taurus Poniatowski (obsolete, represented the bull on King Stanisław August Poniatowski's coat of arms. Also called Taurus Poniatovii.){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/poniatowski.html|title=Taurus Poniatovii|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Serpentarius (a former name for Ophiuchus)
• Scutum Sobiesky (Full name of the constellation Scutum, the Shield of King John III Sobieski.){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/scutum.html|title=Scutum|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Serpens
• Delphinus
• Sagitta
• Aquila
• Antinous (obsolete, Antinous was the lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian.){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/antinous.html|title=Antinous|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Lacerta
• Cygnus
• Lyra
• Vulpecula and Anser (a slightly Anglicised version of the full name of Vulpecula, this translates as, "the little fox and the goose".){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/vulpecula.html|title=Vulpecula|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Pegasus
• Equuleus
• Aries
• Musca Borealis (obsolete, represented a fly, not to be confused with the modern southern constellation of Musca.){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/muscaborealis.html|title=Musca Borealis|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Taurus
• Gemini
• Cancer
• Leo Major (now known as Leo)
• Leo Minor
• Virgo
• Libra
• Scorpio
• Sagittarius
• Corona Australis
• Microscopium
• Telescopium
• Capricornus
• Aquarius
• Piscis Australis (a.k.a. Piscis Austrinus)
• Ballon Aerostatique (obsolete, honoured the Montgolfier brothers' balloon, also called Globus Aerostaticus){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/globusaerostaticus.html|title=Globus Aerostaticus|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Pisces
• Psalterium Georgii (obsolete, the harp of King George III of the United Kingdom. Also called Harpa Georgii.){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/harpa.html|title=Harpa Georgii|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Fluvius Eridanus (former name of Eridanus){{cite book |last=Hill |first=John |date=1754 |title=Urania: Or, a Compleat View of the Heavens; Containing the Antient and Modern Astronomy, in Form of a Dictionary: Illustrated with a Great Number of Figures ... A Work Intended for General Use, Intelligible to All Capacities, and Calculated for Entertainment as Well as Instruction |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzigAAAAMAAJ&pg=PT304|location=London |publisher=T. Gardner |chapter=Fluvius| page= [unpaginated]}}
• Cetus
• Officina Sculptoris (now known as Sculptor)
• Fornax Chemica (full name of Fornax)
• Machina Electrica (obsolete, represented an electrostatic generator){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/machina.html|title=Machina Electrica|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Orion
• Canis Major
• Lepus
• Columba Noachi (full name of Columba){{cite book |last=Hill |first=John |date=1754 |title=Urania: Or, a Compleat View of the Heavens; Containing the Antient and Modern Astronomy, in Form of a Dictionary: Illustrated with a Great Number of Figures ... A Work Intended for General Use, Intelligible to All Capacities, and Calculated for Entertainment as Well as Instruction |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzigAAAAMAAJ&pg=PT304|location=London |publisher=T. Gardner |chapter=Pigeon| page= [unpaginated]}}
• Cela Sculptoris (now known as Caelum)
• Monoceros
• Canis Minor
• Atelier Typographique (obsolete, represented Gutenberg's printing shop){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/officina.html|title=Officina Typographica|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Noctua (obsolete, an owl replacing the equally obsolete Turdus Solitarius, the thrush){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/solitaire.html|title=Turdus Solitarius|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Corvus
• Crater
• Sextans Uraniae (original name of Sextans){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/sextans.html|title=Sextans|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Hydra
• Felis (obsolete, represented a cat){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/felis.html|title=Felis|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Lupus
• Centaurus
• Antlia Pneumatica (full name of Antlia){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/antlia.html|title=Antlia|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Argo Navis (obsolete, now divided into Carina, Vela, and Puppis){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/argo.html|title=Argo Navis|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}
• Pyxis Nautica (full name of Pyxis){{cite web|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/pyxis.html|title=Pyxis|author=Ridpath, Ian|author-link=Ian Ridpath|work=Star Tales|access-date=7 March 2014}}

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In addition, Mons Mænalus is shown below Boötes, Caput Medusæ is shown as part of Perseus, and Cerberus is shown with Hercules.

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• {{cite web|title=Urania's Mirror|series=Treasures of the RAS|url=https://ras.ac.uk/library/treasures-of-the-ras/2428-treasures-of-the-ras-urania-s-mirror|publisher=Royal Astronomical Society}} Includes a video presentation of the cards.

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