The Catalogue of the Universe is a romance novel for young adults by the New Zealand writer Margaret Mahy, first published by J. M. Dent in 1985.

The book follows the evolving relationship between two teenagers: nerdy intellectual Tycho Potter and high school princess Angela May, who despite their differences are best friends.

This is poignantly demonstrated when Angela's romantic dreams about her father (whom she never knew) are shattered when she actually meets him.

[1] Angela May wakes in her bedroom to find her mother, Dido, in the garden trimming the grass using a scythe.

Angela calls out to her mother and asks her to share the story of how she and her father met, and her subsequent birth.

Meanwhile, at Tycho's house his family receive a phone call from his sister Africa, who has had a fight with her husband and wishes to leave him.

Angela does indeed come to see Tycho that morning, under the pretence of him offering her a lift to a school event.

Angela is extremely angry and tells her mother to drive her car off the dangerous road that the two live on.

Tycho returns home, where he uses the excuse of wanting to see the occultation of two of Jupiter's moons to get out of going to his sister's for a party that evening.

He later receives a call from Richard telling him that his father was taken ill, and the family would be staying the night at Africa's.

A reporter turns up at the door, and suddenly the family realise Tycho is actually injured, and want to know what has happened.

Tycho comes to visit her and Angela asks him not to tell Dido about their relationship, but the way the two behave makes it obvious.

It is named for the mythical bird phoenix, which is reborn from its ashes, to suggest the book's rise from obscurity.