Chesley Bonestell's Astronomical paintings

Chesley Bonestell was a San Francisco born artist who began astronomical painting in 1905 after seeing Saturn through the 12-inch telescope at the Lick Observatory in San Jose. Up until the late 1930s, he spent most of his time drafting architectural models in London and the United States. He then began to work in Hollywood, where he would paint backdrops and matte paintings for film. In 1944, he famously painted visions of Saturn from its different moons; these were published in Life magazine, giving Bonestell his claim to fame.

Bonestell moved on to do artwork for science fiction writers and astronomers. He helped envision the possibilities of space travel in his time, and inspired many others to look towards the stars.