Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Astrophysics has always lent itself to beautiful books and astronomy journalist Schilling gives readers a pop science coffee table book on the subject that is both gorgeous and accessible. He starts small, with our sun and solar system, and expands outward, both further away and ever deeper into space and time. The chapter "Birth of Stars" offers panoramic photos of colorful gas-swathed nebulae where stars coalesce, including the Orion, the Eagle, the Rosette, and Tarantula nebulae. Short vignettes show how stars evolve and die, and consider the search for exoplanets. From the Milky Way and its companions in the Local Group, Schilling expands to explore the diversity of galaxies, and then the galaxy clusters spread throughout space. The journey concludes with a look at what has shaped our universe: relativity, space-time, and the Big Bang. With its casual and expansive structure, the book rewards both regular readers and those who prefer to dip in at random. Illustrated with some 400 vivid photos and diagrams and a custom-drawn star atlas by noted astrocartographer Wil Tirion, Schilling's book offers a mesmerizing look at our universe from close to home to deep, dark space. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Schilling (Flash! The Hunt for the Biggest Explosions in the Universe) offers an eye-catching expedition across the universe. The work opens with a brief tour of Earth's closest neighbors and moves quickly beyond, exploring the life of stars including "bloated giants," the "monstrous Betelgeuse," and the various types of supernovae. Along the way, the author tours the history of astronomy and skillfully weaves in the science and technology behind the major breakthroughs such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Some of the 400 vibrantly colored photographs and illustrations pack every page, illuminating the strange life of pulsars, magnetars, quasars, and planetary nebulae. Schilling's writing is lively and based on the latest observations, as expected from one of the best science writers working today. The book concludes with a 14-page star atlas drawn by Dutch astrocartographer Wil Tirion. VERDICT A well-conceived, absorbing survey of the wonders of the cosmos that truly reinforces the author's point that "space is big. Unimaginably big." Recommended for space enthusiasts and astronomy aficionados. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
