Why are the Vienna star maps from 1440 important in the history of astronomical mapping?

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Astronomical map Star trails over banksia trees, in Gippsland, Vic., Austl. The south celestial pole, located in the constellation Octans, is at the centre of the trails.

The 1440 star maps preserved in Vienna are significant because they represent the earliest known Western maps of the Northern and Southern celestial hemispheres that depict both individual stars and constellation figures.1

These manuscripts serve as a crucial historical bridge in the development of astronomical mapping. They are believed to have been based on two earlier charts from 1425 that were once in the possession of the German mathematician and astronomer Regiomontanus.1

Their importance is further underscored by their influence on later cartography: in 1515, the renowned artist Albrecht Dürer utilized these Vienna manuscripts as the primary pattern for creating the first printed star maps.1