Magnificent Universe [Hardcover]

Ken Croswell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 1999

The awesome wonder of the cosmos has inspired the human imagination for millennia: what we learn about the cosmos tells us not just where we are, but who we are and now, at the turn of this millennium, thanks to science and technology that were unimaginable only a century ago, a rich new portrait of our universe has emerged.

"Magnificent Universe" is the most complete, authoritative, and lavish celebration of the heavens ever created. No other book approaches its range of photographs, produced with uncompromising quality on a majestic scale. With more than one hundred full-color portraits, "Magnificent Universe" allows you to experience for yourself the beauty of the planets, moons, comets, constellations, stellar nurseries, red giants, WP, spiral galaxies, and quasars -- all the way to the edge of space and time.

Harvard-trained astronomer Ken Croswell stunned readers around the world with his previous book, "Planet Quest, " which Sir John Maddox called "a thrilling account of the discovery of planets in the solar system and elsewhere that stands out for its human interest and its accuracy." Now, after years of meticulous research, Dr. Croswell has brought together outstanding photographs from leading observatories around the world as well as from an armada of interplanetary spacecraft. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope have been digitally reprocessed to create a degree of definition never seen before. With these superb photographs, he guides us through lucidly organized chapters on the planets, the stars, the galaxies, and the universe. Unique color-coded tables on the planets, moons, brightest stars, nearest stars, and Local Group galaxies appear in a useful reference section, along with a glossary and suggestions for further reading.

"Magnificent Universe" catapults you through the vistas of space that future generations will explore. It is a landmark in the scientific visualization of the cosmos -- one that will surely inspire artists, philosophers, and adventures of the next century.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Not all astronomers are totally thrilled with the Hubble Space Telescope. "That's not data, it's pictures," they complain. But what pictures: never has the universe seemed so gorgeous, powerful, diverse: in a word, magnificent. Only part of the pictures in Ken Croswell's Magnificent Universe are from the Hubble, but all cleave to the same high standard. Whether of Mars, a supernova, or galaxies in collision, they are beautiful. The paper in the book is glossy black, which is ideal for bringing out colors and details in the photographs, each of which covers an entire very large page. The white-on-black text is less special, meant more for browsing than for learning. It's rather a pity, because Croswell's other books (The Alchemy of the Heavens and Planet Quest) are written in a style both witty and informative.

The only astronomy coffee-table book that can begin to compare to this one for beauty is Full Moon. The black-and-white photos in the latter have a stark loveliness with something of the chill of space; the pictures in Magnificent Universe are colorful and even exciting, giving the reader sheer, sensual pleasure along with their sense of wonder. --Mary Ellen Curtin

From Publishers Weekly

With an impressive constellation of pictures (including computer-enhanced images from the Hubble Space Telescope), Croswell (Alchemy of the Heavens) takes readers on an introductory tour of the celestial spaces and places that interest astronomers, from earth and its neighboring planets, to nearby stars and the interstellar medium, to the limits of the observable universe (which turn out to be 15 billion light-years from earth). Croswell's summaries of astronomical and cosmological knowledge make clear if very compact introductions to these subjects, fit to accompany the magnificent images, and divide into four segments: "The Planets," "The Stars," "The Galaxies" and "The Universe." Potent photographs alternate with memorable facts: explaining that sunspots arise from magnetic fields on the sun, Croswell stops to note that, for much of the 17th century, there simply were no sunspots; as a result, the sun faded and the earth cooled. Near the end of his last chapter, Croswell tells us why the universe will probably go on expanding and cooling down forever: though there's plenty of "dark" (undetectable) matter between stars (dark matter's gravity holds galaxies together), there'd have to be five times as much as there probably is for expansion to someday halt. Over 100 spectacular photographs show, rather than tell, readers exactly why kids grow up to be astronomers. Some images come from NASA spacecraft, including Viking and Voyager. Appended tables supply vital statistics on, for example, the diminutive moons of Uranus, and the size and age of the best-known stars. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684845946
• ISBN-13: 978-0684845944
• Product Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #855,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendiferous, November 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Magnificent Universe (Hardcover)

This visually is one of the most beautiful books I have encountered and I'm 62. The layout is perfect; the astronomical information is scholarly yet understandable to a lay person -- easily an intensive course in undergraduate astronomy; the scientific information is liberally sprinkled with poetic insights and a subtle sense of humor that enhance the scholarship of the work. These spectacular photographs of our primordial home hopefully will invoke a nostalgia in the deepest core of our collective unconsicous and remind us that we human beings are "astounding, lucid confusions" (Rumi) who live together on one beautiful, small blue ball in a glorious universe which abounds with mystery and awe.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indescribably spectacular, August 31, 2000

By 

"flickjunkie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magnificent Universe (Hardcover)

I first saw this book in the souvenir shop at the Hayden Planetarium in New York and I absolutely had to have it. This is an astounding compilation of stunning photographs of our universe. It is a coffee table book, about 11" x 14" so the photographs are very large with incredible detail. The book is broken down into four sections with each one more inclusive. The first section is on the planets. It includes amazingly detailed photos of all the planets as well as comets and meteors with detailed descriptions of each planet.

The second section is about the stars. There are splendid pictures of nebulae that are more fantastic than the most spectacular fireworks display you could ever imagine. There is an interesting discussion of the birth of stars, how they differ and how long they last. There are also photographs of the remnants of supernovas as well as double stars and star clusters. The third section is on galaxies. Again, we have breathtaking photography of various galaxies, including fascinating and informative descriptions about the birth and evolution of galaxies. The last section is on the universe. This is more descriptive than illustrative and discusses the Big Bang and the evolution of the universe as it expanded, cooled and formed galaxies.

In addition to the sections mentioned above, there is also an interesting appendix filled with tables of information on planets, stars and galaxies including their distance, discovery dates and vital statistics.

This awesome book is educational, inspirational and beautiful beyond words. It is perfect for students, lovers of astronomy or anyone else who appreciates the lovely wonders of nature.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece of astronomical photography, October 18, 1999

By 

Stan Martin (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magnificent Universe (Hardcover)

I was looking for a photographical display including the most up to date astronomical images available. I wasn't interested in a textbook book style format which was loaded with technical data. I was rather hoping to locate a work which would capture the breathtaking photographic capabilities that are currently available with the latest technological advances. "Magnificent Universe" was no disappointment. I was happily surprised to find nearly all images to be full page in size with a number of incredible 2-page centerfold images! The most common responce we hear from our friends is, "Wow!" Regards, Stan