28 Star Charts and Prints Worth Framing

For centuries, printers tried to flatten the sky onto paper, and the results rank among the most beautiful maps ever made. Gods and beasts sprawl across the constellations, planets swing through tidy orbits, and the Moon turns into a surveyed landscape.

Many of these sheets now hang in living rooms rather than libraries. Some are genuine antiques worth serious money, while others are affordable reproductions that simply look good on a wall, and telling the two apart matters.

Cellarius Harmonia Macrocosmica Plates

Andreas Cellarius published the Harmonia Macrocosmica in Amsterdam in 1660, and its 29 hand-colored plates are widely admired as some of the most lavish celestial images of their century. The sheets compare the Ptolemaic, Copernican and Tychonic systems with cherubs, scholars and swirling orbits.

Original plates were usually removed from broken atlases, and fine examples sell for several thousand dollars. Value depends on color quality, paper condition and whether the center fold is clean.

Framers typically float these double-page sheets with acid-free hinges so the fold is not pressed flat.

Bayer Uranometria Constellation Charts

Johann Bayer’s Uranometria, published in Augsburg in 1603, introduced the practice of labeling stars with Greek letters, a system astronomers still use. Each engraved chart shows a single constellation with its classical figure drawn over a precise star field.

Originals are scarce and expensive, and many later printings exist, so buyers check edition details carefully. Condition problems such as foxing, trimmed margins and worn impressions affect value sharply.

Framed individually, the plates make a strong series on a long hallway wall.

Hevelius Firmamentum Sobiescianum Plates

Johannes Hevelius of Danzig produced the star atlas published in 1690 as the Firmamentum Sobiescianum. Its constellations are drawn as if seen from outside the celestial sphere, so the figures appear reversed compared with the sky above.

That quirk trips up anyone trying to match the chart to the actual night sky, and it gives the engravings a distinctive look. Original plates bring strong prices, while modern reproductions are widely available and inexpensive.

Value for originals depends on impression quality, margins and whether any later coloring was added.

Fortin Reduced Flamsteed Atlas Plates

Jean Fortin issued a reduced French edition of John Flamsteed’s great star atlas in Paris in 1776, making the famous charts smaller and far more affordable. The engravings keep Flamsteed’s elegant constellation figures while fitting a more manageable page.

Later editions were revised and expanded, so collectors check the date and edition. Individual plates sell for far less than Flamsteed’s original large folio sheets. Their compact size suits small walls.

Clean paper, strong impressions and wide margins raise value, while foxing and trimming lower it.

Doppelmayr Atlas Coelestis Plates

Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr’s Atlas Coelestis, published in Nuremberg in 1742 by the Homann firm, combines star charts with diagrams of planetary motion, eclipses and competing models of the universe. The plates are known for rich hand color, heavy decorative borders and dense layouts packed with small inset figures.

That busy design rewards close viewing, so these sheets suit studies and reading corners where people stand near the frame. Original plates sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on subject and color.

Faded, retouched or modern color can reduce value noticeably.

Bode Uranographia Charts

Johann Elert Bode’s Uranographia, published in Berlin in 1801, is regarded as a high point of the classical star atlas. Its large engraved charts show thousands of stars along with elaborate constellation figures, including several that astronomers later dropped from official use.

Collectors enjoy spotting those forgotten constellations, such as the printing press and the electrical machine, hiding among the familiar ones. Original plates are expensive and increasingly scarce.

Value depends on impression quality, margin width and paper condition, and affordable reproductions are easy to find.

Burritt Geography of the Heavens Plates

Elijah Burritt’s celestial atlas was issued to accompany his popular textbook, The Geography of the Heavens, and was widely used in American schools during the nineteenth century.

The 1835 edition’s hand-colored star maps show constellations with bold figures, clear labels and a folk-art charm. Many plates were separated from worn school atlases, which is why so many reach the market.

Collectors like them for bright color and a distinctly American history. Value depends on color, paper condition and tears, and foxing is common on sheets that sat in damp classrooms.

Jamieson Celestial Atlas Plates

Alexander Jamieson’s Celestial Atlas, published in London in 1822, pairs handsome constellation figures with clean star fields designed for students. Its drawings borrowed heavily from Bode, then in turn inspired later popular works, which makes the atlas an interesting link in the family tree of star charts.

The plates were engraved with care and often hand colored after printing. Original sheets are collected individually and frequently framed as matching pairs.

Condition, color and margins all influence value, and plates with original color bring more than later tinted examples.

Urania’s Mirror Constellation Cards

Urania’s Mirror, published in London around 1824, is a boxed set of 32 constellation cards whose figures closely follow Jamieson’s atlas. Each card is punched with tiny perforations at the star positions, so light shines through when the card is held up to a lamp or window.

That clever feature makes the cards unusually charming framed objects, especially in shadow boxes with soft backlighting. Complete sets are rare and valuable, while single cards sell more affordably.

Value depends on condition, completeness and whether the fragile perforated areas remain intact and untorn.

Trouvelot Astronomical Chromolithographs

Etienne Leopold Trouvelot published a portfolio of 15 astronomical chromolithographs through Charles Scribner’s Sons in 1881 and 1882. The images, drawn from his own telescope observations, show sunspots, the aurora, Saturn, Jupiter, lunar craters and nebulae in rich, dramatic color.

They sit comfortably between scientific illustration and fine art. Original prints are rare and command high prices, while inexpensive reproductions are everywhere.

Buyers check paper tone, color strength and printed captions, and originals deserve UV-filtering glass because their pigments fade in sunlight.

Asa Smith Illustrated Astronomy Plates

Asa Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy was a mid-nineteenth-century schoolbook for American common schools, filled with bold diagrams of the solar system, eclipses, tides and constellations. Many plates use white figures on dark grounds, which gives them a strikingly modern graphic look.

Pages were often separated from worn copies and now sell individually. Collectors like them for strong contrast and classroom history.

Value depends on paper condition, color and staining, and a matched group of several diagrams in identical frames makes an effective display.

Classroom Pull-Down Astronomy Charts

Schools in the twentieth century used large pull-down wall charts showing the solar system, phases of the Moon and the seasons. Makers such as Denoyer-Geppert, better known for geography maps, produced canvas-backed charts on spring rollers for classrooms.

Their size and saturated colors make them popular decor pieces today, especially in offices and dens. Collectors look for original rollers, brackets and legible labels.

Value depends on condition, since cracked paint, water stains and fading are common, and oversized charts often need custom framing or simple hanging rails.

Vintage Planispheres

A planisphere is a rotating star finder that shows which constellations are visible on any date and hour. Vintage examples from publishers such as George Philip and Son combine practical design with handsome printing.

Some owners frame them with the wheel set to a birthday or wedding date, which turns a teaching tool into a personal keepsake. A deep frame helps protect the moving disk and its rivet.

Value depends on condition, completeness and whether the disk still turns smoothly, and printed cardboard models remain inexpensive.

ACIC Lunar Astronautical Charts

The Aeronautical Chart and Information Center of the United States Air Force produced the Lunar Astronautical Chart series in the 1960s to support lunar exploration. These large sheets show the Moon’s surface in airbrushed shaded relief, with crater names and elevation data.

They serve as government technical documents and striking graphic prints at the same time. Collectors look for early editions and sheets that were stored flat.

Value depends on condition, edition and folds, and a grid of several adjoining charts makes a dramatic wall.

Riccioli Lunar Map

Giovanni Battista Riccioli’s lunar map of 1651, prepared with Francesco Maria Grimaldi, introduced many of the crater names still used today, including Copernicus and Tycho. The engraving divides the Moon into sectors and names features after astronomers and philosophers.

It is a landmark in lunar mapping and a favorite of science historians. Original impressions are rare and costly, while reproductions are widely available.

Value depends on originality, margins and paper condition, and a simple dark frame suits the austere engraving well.

Schiaparelli and Lowell Mars Maps

Giovanni Schiaparelli mapped Mars during the favorable opposition of 1877, describing channels that later fueled speculation about Martian canals. Percival Lowell expanded the idea with elaborate maps from his observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

These charts show how skilled observers read far too much into blurry views, which makes them wonderful conversation pieces. Original printed maps are scarce, while reproductions are common.

Value depends on condition, source and originality, and pairing an old canal map with a modern Mars map makes the story obvious.

National Geographic Sky Map Supplements

National Geographic issued a map of the heavens as a magazine supplement in 1957, showing the constellations of both hemispheres along with explanatory notes. The folded sheet was mailed to subscribers, so many copies survive in attics and used bookshops.

Collectors frame it for its clean cartography and midcentury feel. Prices stay modest and depend on condition, fold wear and tears.

The society has also sold reproductions of the same map, so buyers check paper and printing to confirm an original supplement.

Apollo Landing Site Charts

Government mapping agencies produced detailed charts of candidate and final Apollo landing sites during the 1960s and early 1970s. These sheets show craters, ridges and surrounding terrain at scales far finer than earlier lunar maps.

They are working records of human exploration and handsome graphic art. Collectors look for original government printings with clean surfaces and intact margins.

Value depends on condition, mission and edition, and many hobbyists choose inexpensive modern printings of the same public-domain charts for framing.

NASA Educational Lithographs

NASA has long issued educational lithographs showing spacecraft, planets and mission photographs, with explanatory text printed on the back. The prints were handed out to teachers, students and visitors at space centers, so many survive in good condition.

They are affordable and sized for standard frames. Collectors seek older sets with dated backs, preferably still in their original folders.

Value depends on condition and completeness, and because the backs carry text, some owners use double-sided frames to show both faces.

Midcentury Space Art Prints

Collier’s magazine ran a celebrated series on space exploration in the early 1950s, illustrated by painter Chesley Bonestell and other artists. The paintings showed winged rockets, wheel-shaped space stations and jagged lunar landscapes.

They shaped how a generation imagined spaceflight before a single astronaut flew. Original magazine pages and later art prints are widely collected and framed.

Value depends on condition, completeness and whether a page was trimmed, and acid-free mats help protect the cheap magazine paper.

Paris Observatory Lunar Photographs

The Paris Observatory published a photographic atlas of the Moon compiled by Maurice Loewy and Pierre Puiseux between 1896 and 1910. Its large plates show the lunar surface in remarkable detail, captured on glass negatives through a large telescope. These sheets bridge hand-drawn mapping and modern photography.

Original plates are rare and valued by collectors of scientific photography. Condition, tone and originality determine value, and photographic prints should be framed with UV-filtering glass and kept away from direct sunlight.

Halley Eclipse Map of 1715

Edmond Halley published a map predicting the path of the total solar eclipse of 1715 across England. The broadside showed where the Moon’s shadow would fall and asked observers to report what they saw.

It is a landmark in eclipse prediction and public science. Originals are extremely rare and valuable, while reproductions are common and inexpensive.

Value for originals depends on condition, margins and printing state, and reproductions look best in simple frames that match the plain printed style.

Comet Broadsides

Printers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries produced broadsides showing comets streaking across the sky, often with city views below. These sheets mixed astronomy, superstition and breaking news, and many warned of plague, war or divine anger.

The Great Comet of 1680 alone inspired a flood of such prints across Europe. They are lively historical documents that reveal how people reacted to strange lights overhead.

Originals are rare and costly, while reproductions are easy to find. Value depends on condition, age and originality, and brittle paper should be hinged rather than glued.

Almanac Man of Signs Woodcuts

Early American and European almanacs often included a woodcut known as the Man of Signs, showing a human figure surrounded by zodiac symbols linked to parts of the body. Readers used it to time medical treatments and farm chores.

The image is a charming example of folk astronomy and astrology. Original almanac pages are collected and framed.

Value depends on condition, age and printing quality, and small pages look best with generous mats that give them visual weight.

Suzhou Star Chart Rubbings

The Suzhou star chart is a thirteenth-century stone carving that shows the Chinese sky, with star groupings quite different from Western constellations. Ink rubbings made from the stone reveal hundreds of stars in white on a black ground.

The result is a striking image that suits modern interiors. Older rubbings are more valuable than modern ones.

Value depends on age, clarity and paper condition, and large rubbings usually need custom framing with plenty of breathing room.

Edo-Period Japanese Star Maps

Japanese scholars during the Edo period produced star maps that combined Chinese traditions with new observations. Many were printed from woodblocks and show asterisms in elegant, restrained layouts, often with stars marked in several colors to show their traditional groupings. Circular maps centered on the celestial pole are especially handsome.

Originals are rare and seldom leave institutional collections, so most framed examples are reproductions. Collectors value them for their artistry and cultural history.

Value depends on originality and condition, and reproductions printed on Japanese paper look especially good in simple wooden frames.

Celestial Globe Gores

Globe gores are printed segments meant to be cut out and pasted onto a sphere. Celestial gores show constellations and stars in long, tapering shapes that look almost like flower petals.

Uncut sheets make striking framed prints and reveal how globe makers turned a flat print into a sphere. Venetian cartographer Vincenzo Coronelli produced famous celestial gores in the late seventeenth century, and those designs remain popular as reproductions.

Original gores are rare and valuable, while modern copies are common. Value depends on condition and originality, and wide horizontal frames suit the long sheets best.

Museum-Quality Modern Facsimiles

Modern facsimiles of classic star charts are widely available and often printed as giclee reproductions on archival paper. The best look excellent framed and cost a small fraction of originals, and they suit sunny rooms where an antique would fade.

Museums and major libraries have released high-resolution scans of Cellarius, Bayer and Bode plates, so good source images are easy to find. Buyers check print resolution, paper weight and color accuracy.

Value is modest and steady, and archival mats and UV-filtering glass still help reproductions keep their color for years.

The Sky as Something to Keep

Star charts turn the night sky into something that can be held, studied and hung on a wall. They record how people tried to understand the heavens, from mythic heroes to crater names and imaginary canals.

Each sheet captures the knowledge, the guesses and the imagination of its own time.

Most city dwellers now see only a handful of stars after dark, which gives these prints a quiet new purpose. A framed chart returns a crowded sky to a room that has lost it.

Condition and care decide how long that view lasts, whether the sheet is three centuries old or printed last year.

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