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Beyond: Visions Of The Interplanetary Probes

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Beyond: Visions Of The Interplanetary Probes (Hardcover)

~ Michael Benson (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Hardcover Available from these sellers. Published September 30, 2003	Hardcover	--	$31.32	$2.38
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Paperback $17.71 In Stock. Published March 31, 2008	Paperback	$17.71	$9.55	$5.85
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Space-age prophet Arthur C. Clarke, one of three eloquent, forward-looking contributors to this pioneering and magnificent collection of pictures generated by the robotic space probes Galileo, Voyager, Pathfinder, Magellan, Viking, and other less commonly known mechanical explorers, describes these breathtaking images as "some of the greatest landscape pictures ever taken." The recognition that these miraculous images (supremely reproduced) are nothing less than works of art is the impetus for this resplendent volume, and discerning writer and documentary filmmaker Benson did, in fact, serve as the book's curator, searching through tens of thousands of digital images to find the most striking and beautiful scenes of the solar system, many never published before. Each sequence of finely detailed portraits of Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and our sister planets is sublimely exhilarating, particularly those of the volatile Jovian system, blue and serene Neptune, and elegant Saturn, which Benson describes as "cosmic perfection." Not only do Clarke, Benson, and Lawrence Weschler celebrate the ingenious technology of robotic space probes and their, as Weschler writes, "unparalleled ability to convey the sheer beauty and mystery" of the solar system, they also ponder, with great acumen, the metaphysical questions raised by these awesome new visions of the glorious cosmos. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

"These images are a spectacular reaffirmation that we are privileged to live in the greatest age of exploration the world has ever known."-From Arthur C. Clarke's foreword

Since the 1960s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been sending unmanned satellites to explore the planets, moons, and sun. These probes have amassed a stunning visual record of other worlds, revealing not one but scores of new frontiers, from rust-red Mars to the ethereal rings of Saturn.

Author Michael Benson has spent years compiling and digitally processing the best of these images. In Beyond this "deskbound cosmic pilgrim" (Atlantic Monthly) has pulled together the most spectacular of them into one volume that presents these photographs for the first time as art. The resulting book consists of two parts: the first is a spectacular visual tour of the solar system, with views every bit as compelling as the work of the great landscape photographers on earth; the second is a series of beautifully written essays that explain the story behind these photographs: the history of the probes' journeys, how they work, and why they were built. This book shows us how modern science has revealed the astonishing beauty and mystery of the solar system and its awe-inspiring worlds far beyond any places human beings have ever directly observed.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1st Edition, 1st Printing edition (October 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0810945312
ISBN-13: 978-0810945319
Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 11.6 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 5 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #671,416 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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	74% buy the item featured on this page: Beyond: Visions Of The Interplanetary Probes 4.7 out of 5 stars (11)
	11% buy The Planets: A Journey Through the Solar System 4.2 out of 5 stars (6) $10.19
	6% buy Cosmos 5.0 out of 5 stars (14) $19.79
	5% buy Far Out: A Space-Time Chronicle 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) $34.22

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planets become worlds, November 18, 2003

By	Ross Sackett (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We are used to big glossy books of pretty pictures of celestial objects. This book is more than that, though. Sure, the book is beautifully produced and the pictures are pretty (and yes, they are of celestial objects) but when you look through the pages each planet (major and minor) becomes a world--a real place you could visit. The dunefields and erosional badlands of Mars are especially compelling, along with the odd and unfamiliar grooved terrain of the moons of the outer planets.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond your usual book, November 14, 2003

By	fatbslim "fatbslim" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Before I opened up my amazon package yesterday and laid my eyes upon this book, it had been a while since I had held such a well made and beauftifully put together piece. Not having looked at its dimensions before purchasing, I was impressed by the book's size. There are images on almost every page, and they are extremely detailed and vivid. In my experience, this is one of the nicest astrophotography books on the market. A true treasure.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning., February 20, 2004

By	J. S. Radford (Woodside, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mostly, the best images you've ever seen of our solar system companions. I love astronomy books but I've never seen 95% of these large-format images. The detail is astounding. Some would make wonderful artwork if printed for wall display. I never knew what most of the planets looked like at such exquisite detail. Though there aren't too many Earth images, the ones included are just breathtakingly sharp, detailed and, true to life like you never saw before.

In a word, in a class by itself. The best of the best.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars good pics
this has a lot of good pictures in it. It is well worth the purchase if you are looking for a reasonable compilation of planetary images. Read more

Published on October 2, 2007 by John Marshall Donich

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book
beautiful coffee table book. not the sort of thing you sit and read, but great to have out when guests come over. fantastic images.

Published on May 9, 2007 by C. Zollers

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking photos of our Solar System
I am floored every time I open this book of pictures of our Solar System. The images are so amazing and clear. Read more

Published on January 5, 2007 by Brian Hawkinson

4.0 out of 5 stars Look At the Stars & What Do You See?
Have you looked up into the night sky or early morning to see the plethora of stars in their stark beauty. On a clear day, it is a spectacular sight, as on this morning's. Read more

Published on October 28, 2005 by Betty Burks

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous!!! Nothing Comparable.
This book is really a space buff's wet dream. I mean, there is not a single book on the market, anywhere, that has such gorgeous, exquisite and detailed pictures of the planets... Read more

Published on July 10, 2005 by P. Lemmens

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive photographs!
What makes this book impressive is the quality of the photographs. The emphasis is clearly on the photographs, not on the text. Read more

Published on September 26, 2004 by Peter

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Day Icons of Cosmic Wonder
Why does anything at all exist rather than nothing?
If the amazing wonder of pure Being has struck your heart then 'Beyond' can aspire to become your meditative handbook
The... Read more

Published on February 4, 2004 by Avi Solomon

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent images of our solar system
Astronomy and planetary exploration have produced many spectacular pictures, often gathered together in large-format books. Beyond may be the best of them all. Read more

Published on January 14, 2004 by M. A Michaud

› See all 11 customer reviews...

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