What's Out There: Images from Here to the Edge of the Universe [Hardcover]

Mary K. Baumann (Author), Will Hopkins (Author), Loralee Nolletti (Author), Michael Soluri (Author), Stephen Hawking (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1844831906 | ISBN-13: 978-1844831906 | Publication Date: July 28, 2006

This breathtaking photographic tour of the universe features more than 180 exquisite, cutting-edge images, as well as a foreword by award-winning physicist Stephen Hawking. The photos, taken by the newest space explorers—highly sophisticated telescopes, probes, and satellites—are arranged in an A to Z format with thorough text blocks that elucidate the phenomena in a refreshingly concise and accessible manner. From asteroids to pulsars to white dwarfs, each entry consists of bold photos and descriptive text. A data box accompanying each picture provides fascinating details about how, where, and when each shot was taken. In the back of this awe-inspiring volume are the stories behind the space probes and telescopes, along with an essay on color imagery in space and a glossary.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Starting with a dazzling, composite edge-on view of the Milky Way, and then proceeding alphabetically from "Asteroid" to "WMAP" (for NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe), Baumann and company have crafted a spectacular odyssey of the universe. Many of the images are simply breathtaking, such as those of the Seifert galaxy, NGC 3079, the pulsars and the Rosette nebula frontispiece that begins the book. Photographs-taken with both earth- and space-based equipment, including the Mars Express and Magellan-are delightfully sharp, fit for showing off cracks on the surface of Europa and the detailed structure of the Cat's Eye Nebula. Accompanied by lucid and informative text for each feature, the book also includes a section at the end that briefly describes each observatory, its location, its capabilities and history. There is also an informative, illuminating essay on the science behind the images that will only increase a reader's appreciation for the beautiful full-color plates. Fully comprehensible for adults, and including a glossary of terms, this volume will hold great appeal for children and students.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"I can sit down with What¹s Out There for hours, just staring at the mind-blowing sharp pictures." -- Andy Ward, GQ Magazine

The pictures, accompanied by text in plain English, may surprise even veteran space watchers. -- Sam Seibert, Newsweek

This handsome book chronicles in rare photographs the marvels of our universe, with a rich and scientifically detailed text. -- Discover Magazine, Top Science Books of the Year

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Duncan Baird (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844831906
• ISBN-13: 978-1844831906
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's Out There - Review, October 26, 2005

By 

Michael Kline (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What's Out There: Images from Here to the Edge of the Universe (Hardcover)

A word of advice: The casual reader might easily be seduced by the imagery in this book, but to parenthetically skim the wonderfully written text is to miss the real beauty in What's Out There. The content is right on. It's not over your galactic halo, or below your Kuiper Belt. And the richness of images (using everything from handheld cameras to Hubble) is almost impossible to describe. You'll just have to see for yourself.

Words and pictures are the basic ingredients of publishing magic, and if handled cleverly, they can produce a feast for the senses. Such is the case with this marvelous look at (and into) the universe as we know it. From the benign craters of our own moon, to the ethereal mystery of the Ultra Deep Field, to the growing celestial language of earthshine, What's Out There is all about space. The authors aren't selling a book here. They're selling ideas. Far out!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely mind-boggling! Gorgeous!, October 21, 2005

By 

The Flash (Highlands Ranch, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What's Out There: Images from Here to the Edge of the Universe (Hardcover)

This is one of those "wonder" books: something you will enjoy looking at and pondering for minutes, hours, days at a time. Enjoy seeing through your own, private "telescope" all the greatest treasures of the universe!

I am astonished the publisher is making this book available for such a low price. It is printed on high-quality stock in impeccable color. Well worth the purchase.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular Images and Understandable Science, October 17, 2005

By 

Curtis A. Thorpe (Roseville, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What's Out There: Images from Here to the Edge of the Universe (Hardcover)

The collection of photographs in this book is spectacular, and that is appropriate for a book which shows us our universe and beyond. The text is also spectacular in it's clarity and precision. If lay people like me want a glimpse of the beyond, and an understandable explanation of it, this is a great book. I recommend it for everyone from 4th grade (my grandson was blown away by the photos) to astroscientist (some of whom contributed).

Curt Thorpe