Jon Lomberg and Astronomy magazine, are releasing an exclusive, limited-edition print of Encyclopedia Galactica. This unique poster, created by the artist of Portrait of the Milky Way, depicts our home galaxy as a network of civilizations at varying stages of technological advancement.
Lomberg's early work on Encyclopedia Galactica was heavily influenced by Carl Sagan's 1966 book, Intelligent Life in the Universe. Sagan was a firm believer in the fact that civilization on Earth is not unique. Instead, he envisioned the cosmos as home to numerous civilizations, some more advanced and some less than ours. Encyclopedia Galactica perfectly captures this vision, showing many - but not all - of the worlds depicted as "linked in" to a communications network spanning the galaxy. The text is a collaboration between Lomberg and Sagan, who worked together to envision how life might arise and progress on distant worlds around stars where elements are more or less abundant than in our own.
In the final, master image that is Encyclopedia Galactica today, Lomberg has combined all the various elements of the decades-spanning series, together with much of his other imagery, into what is, at last, "perhaps my last word on the subject."
This stunning 30" x 21" glossy print arrives rolled in a tube and comes with an informational guide, outlining the decades-long history behind Encyclopedia Galactica.
Artist: Jon Lomberg