Hipparchus Holding the Celestial Sphere (detail)Raphael

In this section of The School of Athens (1509–1511), Raphael depicts Hipparchus, the ancient Greek astronomer, holding a celestial globe marked with stars. Painted in Rome during the High Renaissance, this figure symbolizes the birth of scientific astronomy. Hipparchus’s contributions to trigonometry and star cataloging laid the groundwork for future celestial navigation and cosmology.