The development and dissemination of selenography in the 17th and 18th century in Europe

HUANG Wentao; MAO Dan

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1008-018X.2025.03.003

Abstract：In 1603,William Gilbert ushered a new era of lunar cartography in Europe with his first lunar map based on naked-eye observations.In influence of Galileo Galilei's Sidereus Nuncius,observating celestial bodies and the moon with telescope had become popular across the Europe continent.With the advancements of the achromatic telescope technology and the copperplate etching techniques throughout the 17th and 18th centuries,astronomical observations became more precise,and lunar maps increasingly became more and more accurate.With significant contributions from astronomers such as Hevelius,Cassini,Riccioli,Mayer,and Schroeter,by the late 18th century,the moon had undergone profound transformations in astronomer's mind.The dissemination of selenography(lunar mapping)within astronomical community primarily relied on lunar maps,astronomical treatises on the moon,and astronomy curricula related to the moon in university courses.Although the connection between science and the public remained less developed compared to modern standards,public perceptions of the moon gradually evolved through the Enlightenment.Natural philosophers enthusiastically introduced new astronomy knowledge in cosmological fictions which were written for the public,while artistic works related to the moon that were created by artists both propelled and reflected the popularization of selenography.The development and dissemination of selenography resulted in unique impacts on the scientific revolution,as the scientific conception of the moon became increasingly distinct from its literary and cultural representations.