Telescopes have been instrumental in helping scientists find out about the big and small of our universe and everything around us. With new developments in astronomical research and telescopy, it would also be good to look back at how people used to do things before we could use computers or take pictures of outer space.

One of the more memorable scholars of two centuries past was Etienne Trouvelot, astronomer and illustrator in the late 1800s, whose observations were not only recorded in his own hand, but also in his own art.

Etienne Leopold Trouvelot (1827-1895) started his scientific work in America as an amateur entomologist, one who unwittingly caused (and unsuccessfully tried to stop) the still-existing gypsy moth infestation in Massachusetts and other American forests. When his interests shifted to the stars, he used his talents as a portrait artists to illustrate his observations with a keen eye and a steady hand. His exploits in illustrating the stars opened doors to working on the staff of Harvard's observatory, leading to an invitation to have express use of the latest (of that time) 16-inch refracting telescope of the U.S. Naval Observatory for a year.

Over the course of his scientific career, he had around 7000 astronomical illustrations under his belt and 50 academic papers. While some people may remember him more for releasing an insect plague in America (much to his regret, that is certain), many more remember him for the beauty of his science. Even if you can't appreciate his contribution to our understanding and vision of the universe, there is certainly much to appreciate, even now, in the surreal feeling his artwork gives, especially since these are meant to be the first representations of the same things scientists see in far more detail in this day and age.

Take a look at these samples of his observations and art.