1958 Rand McNally Pictorial Map of the Solar System and Outer Space

This is a 1958 Rand McNally map of the Solar System.

A Closer Look

The map focuses on the Solar system, illustrating the planets, with moons orbiting Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The distance in miles between the orbits is provided, as is the distance traveled in each orbit, the length of time spent in one orbit (given in Earth years), and the time it takes for each planet to complete one revolution. The asteroids Ceres and Eros are illustrated in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, and a note states that between 1,500 and 50,000 asteroids are known to exist within the belt. Other celestial formations are noted as well, including Antares, Magellanic clouds, the Crab Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy. Text boxes and inset views create a frame and provide information concerning interplanetary and intergalactic distances, the relative size of the planets in the Solar System, an artist's rendering of Eros and Ceres, a chart of interplanetary weights, and artist renderings of a volcanic eruption on Mercury, canals on Mars, the Rings of Saturn, methane storms on Venus, Jupiter's Great Red Spot, and Earth as seen from the Moon.

Publication History

This map was created and published by Rand McNally and Company in 1958. At least three different states of this map were published with the same copyright date (1958). There were no major changes in the content of the map between states, the only alteration being to the map's title. An edition (of which the presently offered example is extant) was published at a reduced size.