Fifty Years of Exploration

Information graphics or infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. Infographics are used to explain complex information in a visual way.

The National Geographic produced a beautiful map of the paths taken by astronauts on historic missions to space. View more images after the jump.

Art by: Sean McNaughton, National Geographic Staff; Samuel Velasco, 5W Infographics.
Sources: NASA; Chris Gamble. Sun, asterid, and comet images: NASA/JPL

Visit The National Geographic for more info about this infographic.
Here is a super large version from flickr

Also I posted another Space Infographic: Missions To Mars.