1959 Book Enterprises Map of the Solar System

This is a 1959 Book Enterprises educational map of the Solar System.

A Closer Look

The central map depicts the Solar System from the Sun (although Mars is to the left of the Sun) to Pluto. The nine planetary orbits are color-coded. Each orbit's distance from the Sun is given, as are statistics about each planet, including its name, diameter, length of year relative to one Earth year, number of satellites, and period of rotation. Several statistics are listed as 'unknown', including the diameter of Pluto. Illustrations of the Andromeda Galaxy, the Ring Nebula, the Crab Nebula, and the Horsehead Nebula are also included. Artistic renderings of views around the solar system are situated along the right border, presenting a view of Mars from Phobos, its moon; a view of Saturn from one of its moons, Titan; and a view of the wind-blown surface of Venus. Drawings of the constellations of the zodiac are situated along the top. Each sign is identified, and the Ecliptic path is illustrated, with the solstices, equinoxes, and the first of each month marked.

The Vastness of Space

A collection of charts along the bottom border provides a small insight into the vastness of Outer Space. Proceeding from left to right, the first chart illustrates the relative size of the nine planets in the solar system and the Sun, with only a fraction of the Sun's total area illustrated. The second chart presents the inclinations of the orbits of the planets around the Sun. The two smaller charts to the right of the title show the relative distance to the closest stars (with the distances measured in light years) and the solar system's path through the galaxy. The final illustration compares the sizes of stars, making it abundantly clear that, even though the Sun dwarfs the nine planets orbiting around it, it is dwarfed by many other stars.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Book Enterprises and published in 1959. A second edition with one new illustration of the Milky Way Galaxy was published in 1960. The OCLC records a dozen examples of both editions in institutional collections in the United States and Canada. We have handled an example of the 1960 edition before; this is the first time we have encountered the 1959 edition. Both editions are scarce on the private market.