First lessons on the sun, moon and stars: what the solar system is, why the moon changes, what a comet is made of and how far away the nearest star lies. Agnes Giberne wrote the best-loved astronomy for young readers of her century and had it checked by professional astronomers. She begins with a parable about a traveller looking for the edge of the world, which is the right way in. Thirty-four plates, from Friedrich to Munch, trace the night sky, moonlight and the lone figure beneath it across seven centuries of painting.