Review - Map of the Universe jigsaw puzzle from Ravensburger

I was sent this jigsaw in exchange for a review.

When I was received the Ravensburger Map of the Universe (affiliate link) jigsaw puzzle to review I was a little daunted. It has 1500 pieces, which is the largest jigsaw I've ever attempted, and I could tell by looking at the picture that it was going to be a tricky one. There's lots of black and large areas of the jigsaw look very similar to each other. But I'm so glad that I gave it a go, and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I was expecting!

I approached the puzzle by sorting all the pieces into trays. Usually I begin a jigsaw by doing the edge, but because this puzzle was too large for my puzzle board I started with the circular centre section, which I calculated would just fit onto my jigsaw board. I made piles for edge pieces, the circular rings, the stars in the middle and the informative diagrams around the edges. Then I made a start on the centre. It was pretty easy to put together the coloured rings, and although the centre star map was challenging there was enough variety in the design that it wasn't boring. The picture on the box can't do the detailed image justice - there's much more to see on the actual jigsaw.

When the centre circular section was complete I transferred it (very carefully) to our dining table so that I could add in the outer sections. Some of the pieces were easy to place and others were more challenging, but by looking carefully at the image on the box and sorting the pieces by shape I was able to put the jigsaw together without too much trouble.

There was a definite sense of achievement when this puzzle was finished, and it looks most impressive! It's definitely a puzzle that you want to leave out for a few days once finished so that you can admire it and pick out all the details in the image.