Atlas of the Week: Beyond Planet Earth

The Times Atlas of the Moon

This atlas is the one-stop shop for anyone mildly curious about the moon. It includes general information, the history of mapping the moon, and techniques of lunar flight, etc. The maps of the moon are displayed in sections from a grid of the moon. On page 58, you can see Tranquility Base, where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first landed on July 20, 1969.

One of the primary goals of mapping the moon, according to the information in the Atlas, was mapping landing sites. We were projecting ourselves on to another mass in space for the first time, taking another step in our a long relationship with the moon. The atlas, printed in 1969, even implies that we should develop and construct on the moon, which is becoming more and more of a reality in the present day.

“Adequate maps are a prerequisite for proper development. They are needed for efficient and orderly planning, prospecting for and recording the land’s natural resource, selecting sites, and alignments and for construction.” (Lewis)

This atlas is available in the library in the Oversize Books section, Call Number QB595 .T5x.

Lewis, H. A. G. The Times Atlas of the Moon. London: Times Newspapers, 1969.

This entry was posted in Atlases of the Week. Bookmark the permalink.