DescriptionMichael Benson tells the thrilling story of the discovery and description of the universe in a new way. Selecting artful and profoun d illustrations and maps, many hidden away in the worlds great science libraries and virtually unknown today, he chronicles more th an 1,000 years of humanitys ever-expanding understanding of the size and shape of space itself. Michael Benson tells the thrilling story of the discovery and description of the universe in a new way. Selecting artful and profoun d illustrations and maps, many hidden away in the worlds great science libraries and virtually unknown today, he chronicles more th an 1,000 years of humanitys ever-expanding understanding of the size and shape of space itself. He shows how the invention of the t elescope inspired visions of unimaginably distant places and explains why today we turn to supercomputer simulations to reveal deepe r truths about space-time.Cosmigraphics explores the visual side of our greatest imaginative achievement as a species: the unveilin g of a vast universe that is largely invisible to our senses. It will be a revelation to space-struck Earthlings, art lovers, and re aders interested in the history of science, the visualization of information, graphic design, and mapping.