PIX4572374: Comparison of Sun Sizes, Sirius and Rigel - Size comparison: Sun, Sirius and Rigel - The Sun (yellow star at the top), and the star Sirius A, (the brightest star in the sky) compared to the huge star Rigel, a supergeant blue star in the constellation of Orion. The brightest star in Earth's sky, Sirius, is seen here next to our Sun and the blue giant Rigel. Sirius has a small companion star, Sirius B. Rigel forms the left foot in the constellation Orion, and its light is equal to 40,000 suns / Bridgeman Images

FLO4572396: English women's fashions of 1786 (bourgeois). Handcoloured lithograph after an illustration in the Cabinet des modes from Le Bibliophile Jacob aka Paul Lacroix's Costumes Historique de la France (Historical Costumes of France), Administration de Librairie, Paris, 1852. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4572398: Artist's view of the star Rigel - The star Rigel. Artwork - Rigel is a blue supergiant, 55,000 times brighter than the Sun and about 80 times that of the Sun. It is located in the constellation Orion. Rigel is a blue supergiant star located in the Orion constellation / Bridgeman Images

FLO4572412: English women's fashions of 1789: dress a la Turk and hat-bonnette with roses and a rainbow ribbon. Handcoloured lithograph from Le Bibliophile Jacob aka Paul Lacroix's Costumes Historique de la France (Historical Costumes of France), Administration de Librairie, Paris, 1852. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4572430: Surface of a giant blue star - Artist view - Surface of a blue giant star - Artist vie / Bridgeman Images

PIX4572436: Artist's view of the star Achernar and the Sun - Achernar. Artwork - Achernar is the brightest star in the constellation Eridan. It is characterized by a very high speed of rotation on itself (in 6.30 hours), so it is the most flattened star known to date. It's a supergiant B star. Bottom left, the Sun for comparison. Achernar is the brightest star of the constellation of Eridanus. It is star of type B, a supergiant star. Its rotation is extremely fast which gives it an oblate shape. Lower left is the Sun for size comparison / Bridgeman Images

FLO4572442: English men's fashions of 1790. Handcoloured lithograph from Le Bibliophile Jacob aka Paul Lacroix's Costumes Historique de la France (Historical Costumes of France), Administration de Librairie, Paris, 1852. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4572471: English woman in court costume called the Circassian, 1788. Handcoloured lithograph from Le Bibliophile Jacob aka Paul Lacroix's Costumes Historique de la France (Historical Costumes of France), Administration de Librairie, Paris, 1852. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575773: Gibbous Moon - Gibbous moon - La Lune seen on August 19, 2008. Mosaic of 22 images. Mosaic of 22 images showing the Moon on august 19 2008 / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575800: Moon of about 22 days - 27/11/0 / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575824: Moon of about 22 days - A 22 day moon - The Moon seen on 27 June 2008, one day after the last quarter. Mosaic of 12 images. Mosaic of 12 images showing the Moon on June 27 2008, one day after the last quarter / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575874: Moon of about 26 days - A 26 - day moon - Mosaic of 8 images. 16 August 2009. A 26 day moon, waning crescent. Mosaic of 8 images. August 16, 2009 / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575880: Common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis 1,2, cuttlefish species from South Africa, Sepia tuberculata 3, Indian cuttlefish, Sepia maculata 4 and Rondelet's bobtail squid, Sepiola rondeletii 5. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575883: Moon in last crescent - 26 days - 31/08/0 / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575884: Moon of 22 days / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575888: German butterflies: Poplar admiral (great Sylvain), Limenitis populi 1, orange tip (aurora), Anthocharis cardamines 2, common brimstone (lemon), Gonepteryx rhamni 3, comma (robert le diable), Polygonia c-album 4, and small tortoiseshell (small turtle or small nettle), Aglais urticae 5. Butterfly, caterpillar, larva and pupa on host plants. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575894: Fin croissant de Lune - Thin crescent of the moon - La Lune vue le 23 avril 2009. Mosaic of 9 images. Mosaic of 9 images showing the Moon on April 23, 2009 / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575932: North - West of the Moon - Moon detail - High resolution image of the north - west part of the visible face of the Moon. The seas visible here are the Serenite Sea, the Tranquility Sea, the Fecondite Sea and the Crisis Sea. Image obtained on May 31, 2009 during the first quarter of the Moon. Mosaic of 26 images. High resolution mosaic of the north west part of the nearside of the Moon. Lunar seas visible here are the sea of Serenity, the sea of Tranquility, Mare Fecunditatis, and the sea of Crises. Mosaic of 26 images taken on May 31 2009 during the first quarter / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575939: The phases of the Moon - Artist's View / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575948: Blue underwing moth (blue lichenee), Catocala fraxini 1, yellow bands underwing (yellow lichenee), Catocala fulminea 2, Jersey tiger, Phalaena quadripunctaria 3, and dark crimson underwing, Catocala sponsa 4, with caterpillar and pupa. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575987: The Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis, and the sun at midnight as seen from the North Cape, Norway. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575993: Plains pocket gopher with external cheek pouches - brown waffle or a poche - Geomys bursarius, and white mouse - common mouse, blanche - Mus musculus var. alba. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4576001: Giant grasshopper - giant grasshopper - Tropidacris cristata (Gryllus cristata). Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4576027: French rose - Rose de France or Rose de Provins - Rosa gallica, and flesh-colored pink rose, Rosa truncata carnea major. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1790-1830. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4576055: South India small tussore moth - butterfly tasar wild indian - Antheraea paphia 1 and caterpillar a, and gaudy sphinx, Eummorpha labruscae 2. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4576124: Virginia rose - Virginia rose - Rosa lucida, and Rosa truncata major. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1790-1830. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575380: Fin croissant de Lune - Thin crescent of the moon - La Lune vue le 27 avril 2009. Mosaic of 7 images. Mosaic of 7 images showing the Moon on April 27, 2009 / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575430: Dead man's rope, Chorda filum 1, and kelp or oarweed, Laminaria digitata 2. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Friedrich Johann Bertuch's Bilderbuch fur Kinder (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1802. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575436: African manatee (African manatee), Trichechus senegalensis, vulnerable 1, harbour seal varieties (harbour seal), Phoca vitulina 2,3, harp seal (harp seal), Pagophilus groenlandicus 4. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Friedrich Johann Bertuch's Bilderbuch fur Kinder (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1802. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575478: Un X au premier quartier de Lune - First Quarter Moon and The Lunar X - La Lune seen on March 3, 2009, about twenty hours before the first quarter. Down the image, close to the terminator, a white “” x” is visible. Easily observable in binoculars, this formation is visible only a few hours a month, shortly before the first moonquarter. This particular formation appears when the Sun illuminates the walls of Blanchinus, La Caille and Purbach crateres. The Lunar “” X”” is an interesting formation created by the walls of craters Blanchinus, La Caille and Purbach that appears in the form of the letter X when illuminated by the Sun for a brief period of time around first quarter. The formation is also known as the Purbach Cross and the Werner X. The optical illusion is relatively unknown because it is visible for only about 4 hours just before first quarter. The X stands out when just the rims of the craters are illuminated and the floors are in the deep shadows of lunar night along the terminator. When the Sun shines into the craters, the X blends into its surroundings, looking like the normal cratered lunar landscape. These photos were taken at approximately 6:59 p.m. est (11:59 UT) on March 3, 2009. First quarter occurred at 2:46 a.m. east (7:46 UT) on March 4 / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575500: Gibbous Moon - 9,5day / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575609: Tokay gecko, Gekko gecko 1, broad-tailed gecko (gecko a tail large), Phyllurus platurus 2, five-toed whip lizard (tetradifon), Tetradactylus seps 3, cylindrical skink, Chalcides chalcides 4, and fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra, male 5,6 and female 7,8. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575634: Tench (Tench), Tinca tinca 1, ide (Melanote Ide), Leuciscus idus 2, gibel carp (goldfish or golden cyprin), Carassius auratus auratus 3, and Indian humphead (Indian Napoleon), Kurtus indicus 4. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Friedrich Johann Bertuch's Bilderbuch fur Kinder (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1792. / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575697: La Lune a l'apogee et au perigee - 2006 - Full moon at apogee and perigee - 2006 - In 2006, the smallest Full Moon was on January 14, 2006. It was only 29'40””, as it was 402,927 km from Earth, near the apogee (the point of an orbit farthest from Earth). On the contrary, the Full Moon of October 7, 2006 was the largest in 2006. It was 33'45””, as it was located 354,027 km from Earth, near the perigee (the point of an orbit closest to Earth). In 2006, the smallest Full Moon was on January 14, 2006. Its diameter was 29'40”” because its distance to Earth was 402.927 km, near the apogee (the farthest point of an orbit to Earth). Full Moon, on October 7, 2006, was the biggest of the year. Its diameter was 33'45”” because its distance to Earth was only 354.027 km, near the perigee (the closest point of an orbit to Earth) / Bridgeman Images

PIX4575699: Full Moon - Full Moon - The Moon seen on January 10, 2009 a few hours before the full Moon. Mosaic of 23 images. Mosaic of 23 images showing the Moon on january 10 2009, a few hours before full moon / Bridgeman Images

FLO4575748: Greek and Roman gods: Pluto 1,2, Vesta 3, and Bacchus 4,5. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's “” Bilderbuch fur Kinder”” (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1805. Friedrich Johann Bertuch (1747-1822) was a German publisher and man of arts most famous for his 12-volume encyclopedia for children illustrated with 1,200 engraved plates on natural history, science, costume, mythology, etc., published from 1790-1830. / Bridgeman Images