A very surprising celestial map drawn on elk skin continues to intrigue researchers nearly a century after its rediscovery.

Evidence points to the map being made by Hipparchus, the "father of scientific astronomy." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A new study suggests the disk was made to accurately represent the brightest stars at least 2,400 years ago, possibly as an aid for planting crops. But other experts are not convinced. When you ...

Ancient Chinese astronomer Shi Shen’s star catalog, known as The Star Manual of Master Shi, is now considered the oldest star chart in the world. Later observations written into the catalog showed ...

These tools condensed centuries of observation into portable maps. With them, astronomers could predict ... Even today, many experts recommend starting here, "Pick up a star chart, train your eyes, ...

But as large as the map already is, its designers are already planning to expand it even further. Stellar nurseries are extremely difficult to chart because their stars are generally obscured by dense ...

The map, spanning 4,000 light-years from the sun in all directions, combines a chart of space dust with the effects of a rare type of young, hot star.