Customer Reviews

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

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4 star:		(2)
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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!

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.

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

This is the most spectacular photographic and textual exploration of space and the universe I have ever seen. After being overwhelmed by the truly awe inspiring sights and discussion of each photo, I realized how educational the book is and I thought every high school in the country should acquire one for its library; it would be a wonderful text for young people interested in the universe and, of course, for those of us a little older who haven't quite comprehended what the universe is all about.

Another fascinating picture book for star gazers and astronomy buffs to look at and drool! This collection of one hundred eighty spectacular views were taken by the newest space instruments, telescopes, NASA satallites, during space probes. In the Foreword, Stephen Hawking's 'The Never-Ending Quest,' is descriptive, "I do not believe we will ever reach the end of our quest for a complete understanding of the universe."

From pulsars to white dwarfs, the clear, lucid pictures with descriptive text, make for a fascinating 'tour of the universe.' I've vicariously taken several such, from the time my son was a physics student leading into his Ph.D. in Astronomy, and this is one of the best. There are a cornicopia of this kind of photography on the web site for NASA; those of the Mars' explorations are out of this world.

In this well-put-together collection, each planet, asteroid, the nebulas, black holes, supernovas, galaxies are shown in all their glory and explained in easy-to-understand by language by Mary K. Baumann. The sunspot and eclipse are strangely eerie in the detail shown. Each photo has the dates taken, where and by whom, so that the proper credit is given -- as there is available a plethora of images of the awesome beauty of the universe. I wouldn't call it the final frontier, only the beginning of things to come.

The essay on color imagery in space adds to the enjoyment of the science behind the images, listed as a 'picture dictionary' (from A to Y -- no Z). In addition to these lovely, thought-provoking photographs, some overwhelming, the book gives helpful information for the amateur stargazer or the seasoned astronomer.

Michael Soluri is expert in the research and editing of astronomical and space exploration photography. Ray Villard is an astronomy professor at Johns Hopkins University. Stephen Hawkings, a mathematician, has many bestsellers on the subject of space including THE UNIVERSE IN A NUTSHELL, THEORIES OF THE UNIVERSE, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING: ORIGIN AND FATE OF THE UNIVERSE, and a study on BLACK HOLES. He has edited books about Copernicus, Kepler, Gibbons, and Galileo among others.

++++++

"Astronomy is one of the sublimest fields of human investigation. The mind that grasps its facts and principles receives something of the enlargement and grandeur belonging to the science itself. It is a quickener of devotion."

The above is a quotation uttered by American educator Horace Mann in the 1800s. It eloquently sums up my feelings when I viewed the images (the majority of which are taken from our Galaxy) and read their accompanying text in this fascinating book by M. K. Baumann, W. Hopkins, L. Nolletti, and M. Soluri (with astronomy consultant R. Villard).

Stephen Hawking, who wrote the book's forward, tells us that "the [spectacular] images in this book represent some of the most up-to-date and high-definition data available." Yes, the more than 180 images are truly spectacular and were selected because they were judged to be the "most important" examples to highlight a particular topic. (The earliest image was taken May 1967 and the most recent was taken Jan. 2005.) Each photographic image has a standard data area that gives key information about the image. For example the data area of the image that's on the front cover of this book (shown above by Amazon) might be as follows:

(1) Identification icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. (I will explain more about these icons below.)
(2) Saturn with its moon Enceladus appearing near its south pole
(3) Visible-light image (metallic color added)
(4) Cassini orbiter (Note that this spacecraft consists of this orbiter and the Huygens probe)
(5) 16 May 2004
(6) 12.5 million miles (20 million km) from Earth

Each topic is presented alphabetically with a brief, easy-to-understand, descriptive, and interesting text to explain a topic. The letters covered are from "A" to "W" (excluding "K," "O," and "Q"). Topics under each letter range from one to several. For example, under "A" are two topics covering four pages but under "C" are six topics covering ten pages.

Thus each topic generally has three pieces of information. For example, the first topic under "A" is "Asteroid." Then there is:

(1) a descriptive text of an asteroid
(2) an actual image of an asteroid--in this case asteroid Eros
(3) a data area for asteroid Eros (which, as shown above, has (i) an identification icon (ii) image description (iii) image type (iv) image source (v) date image taken and (vi) distance celestial object is from Earth).

At the end of the book are three sections. One section lists with a brief description the mechanical and human image-makers that made the images in this book possible. Another well-written section explains the science behind the images used in this book. The last section is a glossary of important terms.

The section regarding the image-makers is one I found especially interesting. Over forty image-makers are listed and well described. These image-makers are divided into four groups:

(1) Earth-based (like observatories)
(2) Near-Earth (like space-based telescopes)
(3) Spacecraft, probes, & cameras
(4) Individuals (who work with accessible and mobile equipment).

The identification icons I mentioned in the sample data area above are in this image-makers section. Any icon that appears in the book can be matched with the same icon in this section. For example, the icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft mentioned in the sample data area above can be matched with the identical icon in the above-mentioned third group. Then below the icon is a brief description of this spacecraft that I found quite interesting.

Finally, I did find some problems with this book. I should emphasize that these in no way affect the book's readability but I found them to be irritations:

(1) There is no introduction. There is a four-paragraph blurb on the inside front jacket flap that promotes the book and at the same time tries to give some indication of what to find in it. It does not do the latter very well. For example, how to use the icons is not explained at all. There should have been a good introduction included within the book itself.
(2) Three astronomical images located on the first two pages are not explained at all. Why?
(3) There are no references for the text. True, we are given the names of almost sixty scientists and space professionals who shared their knowledge. But throughout the book's pages are certain figures that must have been looked up somewhere. These sources are not given credit.
(4) The glossary is somewhat redundant. For example, the first word in the glossary is "asteroid." But as I mentioned above, it's a topic in the main section of this book! Why include it in the glossary? I found this for several other words as well.
(5) Right after the index of this book (that is, on the very last page) is a description of a newly discovered phenomenon that is "a telltale trace of other Earth-like planets out beyond our solar system." I found this VERY interesting. Why was it on the very last page of the book? It should have been included in the main narrative.

In conclusion, if you're an armchair astronaut like me, you'll appreciate this visually stunning and informative book that reveals the awesome beauty and mystery of the cosmos!!!

(first published 2005; forward by S. Hawking; the Milky Way; celestial phenomena from "A" to "W;" science behind the images; the image makers; main narrative 175 pages; glossary; index; picture credits; acknowledgements; Earthshine)

+++++

The images in this book are phenemonal! In the tradition of a great coffee table book, they suck you in. But after a bit of browsing you realize that the coolest thing is the completely understandable explanations. It's rare that you find this combination of science in such an awe-inspiring and accessible package. Fascinating!

Today I have boldly gone...inside the pages of What's Out There. I have explored brilliant new worlds and have understood what they mean to us Earthlings. I have taken a ride on exploratory missions to seek out new life, if any. I have reached beyond the stars into infinity. Wow what a trip!

This beautifully designed and written new book is a feast for the eyes and mind. It is not only rich with extraordinary photography but also written in such a way that the "hard to explain theories" become understandable.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with a thirst for knowing "What's Out There." Beginning with page one you will be teleported throughout our universe and beyond. When you reach the end of the book, you'll wish there was more.

Not many things in the world can literally take your breath away. Maybe it was your first kiss, or maybe when your son or daughter finally became part of the living. But this book cannot be excepted from that category, because these pictures seem to live and breathe just as we do. Light years and light years away.

Mars is viewed up so close, you feel like you're actually breathing in the dusty storms of the planet and you're surrounded by barren red wasteland, where life might once have existed. Jupiter's moon, Europa, has so many stunning pictures, as each one depicts its greenish-blue hue cracked with red lines and ice that fit in with the satellite so icily, but coolly. And don't get me even STARTED on the nebulae! They are so unbelievably beautiful - swirls of reds tingling with blue and a shiver of yellow belting down an orange, with sparkles and beauty outlining every inch of it. I think the nebulae deserve fifty chapters just for themselves.

All the pictures are arranged alphabetically from their title, from A for Asteroid to W for WMAP (check the book if you don't know what that is ;D), this book has it all. All the pictures are high-definition and just a frightful wonder to look at, staring at the deep, stellar field of space.

But as another reviewer said, don't miss out on the captions! There's an universe of information to be read, and they just can't be ignored because the pictures are so gorgeous. They're extremely factual and faultless, and only glorify the images with much information, unlike other space books where one-liners just dismiss the true meaning behind the pictures.

This book is highly recommended. I can't imagine a better source to start a lifelong interest in space, or to simply indulge in the beauty of space.

Stephen Hawking provides the foreword to WHAT'S OUT THERE: IMAGES FROM HERE TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. Here are nearly two hundred of the most important images ranging from close-ups of Mars to views of the most distant nebula. An alphabetical arrangement allows for quick and easy reference and topics which lend to commentary by experts as they accompany striking color photos. Photos have been culled from archives and astronomical sources from around the world and beyond the planet and provide an amazing A-Z picture record of striking images. Very highly recommended; especially for college-level astronomy holdings.