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Distributed for Reaktion Books

Imaging the Universe

Photography and Astronomy

An examination of how photographers shaped astronomy and how astronomers shaped photography, featuring both historical and contemporary images.

What does the universe look like? From daguerreotypes of the moon to colorful vistas of nebulae from space telescopes, photography and astronomy have developed hand in hand, transforming how our skies have been observed, understood, and viewed over the past two centuries. Charlotte Bigg reveals how astronomers, chemists, photographers, electronic experts, and other often forgotten individuals from different walks of life came together to develop new methods to record the light of the moon, the sun, and the stars, and to share their images with a broad audience. Featuring a wide variety of compelling images, Imaging the Universe explores the visual cultures of astrophotography and how they have shaped our visions of the cosmos.


200 pages | 80 color plates, 30 halftones | 6.73 x 8.66 | © 2026

Physical Sciences: Astronomy and Astrophysics


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Reviews

“Since its earliest use two centuries ago, photography has had the most intimate relation with astronomy. Photos of the Moon or Mars, of remote nebulae or nearby stars, have long provided astronomers with their best means for careful observation and winning wide public fascination. This remarkably intelligent and beautifully illustrated book charts key moments in that relation, the ingenious manipulations and demanding labor that drove astronomical photography. Bigg’s compelling work demonstrates with wit and acuity how skilled judgment and cunning instruments played key roles in these vital histories of arts and sciences.”

Simon Schaffer, Darwin College Cambridge

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