The origins of space art are traced to the first realization that there areworlds other than the earth - a time when speculation was rife as to justwhat the nature of these other worlds might be. The first artwork that triedto realistically depict interplanetary space and the surfaces of other planetsdid not appear until the publication of Jules Verne's classic novels. Thesubsequent burgeonning of both astronomical knowledge and the new literarygenre of science fiction increased the need for artists specializing in realisticdepictions of outer space, other planets and spacecraft. Space art provedto be a major influence on the public's perception of the universe as wellas on the development of space exploration. Today's space artist is consideredby astronomers and space scientists to be a valued colleague.