Images from the history of astronomy: the frontispiece of Johannes Kepler's Rudolphine Tables

One of the last tasks of the astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was the elaboration of the "Rudolfine Tables". As these tables represented the long-awaited climax of Kepler's work, it was to be expected that they would have an appropriate frontispiece, i.e. a graphic element that aimed to identify and decorate the beginning of the work. It should be noted that Kepler is not one of the most mentioned scientists of early modern science and the illustration that opens the "Rudolfine Tables" has not received the attention it deserves. In order to disseminate and discuss an image of great historical value, the purpose of this article is to analyze some details and present comments and interpretations that can be made from the frontispiece. Through this study, it was possible to verify some possibilities for discussion about how Kepler sees the construction and evolution of astronomy and, consequently, we believe that the article can provide subsidies for teachers to use the image as a starting point for discussions about the nature of science.