Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was soon recognized as an expert on the shipping routes to India. He strongly believed in the idea of a North East passage until the failure of Willem Barentsz's third voyage in 1597 seemed to preclude the possibility of such a route. He was one of the founders of the Dutch East India Company for which he drew over 100 maps. In 1592 he published his best known world map titled "Nova et exacta Terrarum Tabula geographica et hydrographica". Apart from maps he published journals and navigational guides and developed a new method for determining longitude. He also introduced the Mercator projection for navigational maps. Plancius was closely acquainted with Henry Hudson, an explorer of the New World.... More • http://en.wikipedia. ... s_Plancius View • Books • Images • Videos • Search Related • Cartographers • Christians • Astronomy • Cartography • Christianity • East Indies • Enlightenment • Exploration • Netherlands • Reformation • Renaissance • 16th Century • 17th Century • People