Mapping the Universe - Mapping Scientific Frontiers: The Quest for Knowledge Visualization - page 56

Fig. 2.8 London Underground map conforms to the geographical configuration

Underground map, in which stations and routes are geographically accurate.
Because there is too much information about Central London to fit into the map,
an enlarged section of Central London is provided to show the detail. In contrast,
Fig. 2.9 shows the current version of London Underground. The most unique feature
of the current version is its simplicity and clarity: underground routes are shown
as straight lines. Geographical accuracy gives way to simplicity and clarity. The
topology of the underground in Central London is clear, although some information
visualization techniques have been applied specifically to help us read the map more
easily. The map produced by the geographic-independent design is certainly “not to
scale.”

2.3 Celestial Maps

Constellations are the imaginary work of our ancestors. The real purpose for the
constellations is to help us locate stars in the sky by dividing the sky into more
manageable regions as memory aids.
Historians believe that many of the myths associated with the constellations were
invented to help the farmers remember them. When they saw certain constellations,
they would know it was time to begin the planting or the reaping. Just like a visual
calendar.