Edvard E. Neovius's Star Map and Message to the Martians

Over time, the original mythological meanings behind the constellation names have faded from common knowledge. In 1882, Edvard Engelbert Neovius, a Finnish mathematics and topography teacher, embarked on an innovative project. He created a star map based on the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, covering the portion of the sky visible in Finland. Neovius aimed to make constellations more memorable for the local audience by not only renaming them but also structuring them into thematic groups. Beyond his cartographic pursuit, Neovius delved into another space-themed publication. He published a pamphlet outlining a method for communicating with Martians using light signals. In addition to estimating the required light beacons and batteries, he drafted a message encompassing basic mathematics, logic, the physics of the Solar System, and more complex concepts.