Boosting the public engagement with astronomy through arts

Abstract

Arts are a seamless way to introduce the general public to both basic and more sophisticated astronomical concepts. The visual richness of astronomy makes it attractive and easily incorporated in painting and literature. Astronomy is the only science with a muse -Urania -implying that, at least in the eyes of the ancients, it was an art itself. I review some less well known representation of astronomical concepts in literature with potential application in education.