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Cosmos was the first science TV blockbuster, and Carl Sagan was its (human) star. By the time of Sagan's death in 1997, the series had been seen by half a billion people; Sagan was perhaps the best-known scientist on the planet. Explaining how the series came about, Sagan recalled:

I was positive from my own experience that an enormous global interest exists in the exploration of the planets and in many kindred scientific topics--the origin of life, the Earth, and the Cosmos, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, our connection with the universe. And I was certain that this interest could be excited through that most powerful communications medium, television.

Sagan's own interest and enthusiasm for the universe were so vivid and infectious, his screen presence so engaging, that viewers and readers couldn't help but be caught up in his vision. From stars in their "billions and billions" to the amino acids in the primordial ocean, Sagan communicated a feeling for science as a process of discovery. Inevitably, some of the science in Cosmos has been outdated in the years since 1980--but Sagan's sense of wonder is ageless. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (117)

The Best Populist Author of Science
Cosmos takes a sweeping look at, well, the Cosmos. Carl Sagan brings perspective to our view of the starry night sky, as well as the living creatures here and all around us. We visit the planets of the Solar system and learn, from a practical layman's viewpoint, what they are like. Remember, as one of the best populist authors of science, ever, he knows how to keep you interested, laughing, and turning pages. It is all terribly interesting, especially if you don't know that Venus is almost as hot as a kiln -- but at first scientists thought it was nothing but jungle! And the Milky Way galaxy, if we could watch it spin in super high speed, looks a little like a spinning popcorn popper. But you'll understand that more if you read the book. If you were to read just 3 books by Carl Sagan, I'd first of all say get these Four: The Demon-Haunted World, Cosmos, Dragons of Eden, and Billions & Billions. In that order. But you won't know without conducting your own experiments, right? Read 'em all!

A wonderful book about everything, for everyone
Cosmos is more than just a book about space. The word Cosmos itself, derived from ancient Greek, implies the deep interconnectedness of all things, in which we all play a part. Although it was written over two decades ago, and therefore you may think that it may not be so relevant in its facts today, its underlying dual-purposes, to educate and to inspire, remain just as relevant as ever. It serves as an introduction to science, and the late Carl Sagan, one of the great humanists of our time, does an excellent job in bringing us into that world by not presenting simply hard facts and technobabble. Instead, he tries to make the book accessible to the scientific novice, and shows how it is relevant to every aspect of our daily lives. And we learn about the development of human understanding, not only in terms of 'Where did we come from?' and 'How did the universe get created?', but the development of ourselves, as people who began our existence from the most humble of beginnings, and were intelligent enough to ask ourselves 'Who are we?' and of course 'Why are we here?'. He shows why science is not only relevant to us here and now, but how it can help us to understand the future, and in the final chapter, he makes it clear that through the rampant destruction of our environment, that future may not be so long-reaching as we might dream it. Sagan manages to gently educate us in a stylish and entertaining way, and his book Cosmos leaves us feeling richer for the experience. I certainly recommend this to anyone. After all, it does concern everyone!

Look at the stars in a whole new way
Carl Sagan uses a boyish excitement that comes through the pages to explain Astronomies greatest hits since man was in a cave. Some of the concepts explained are fairly heavy but he does an excellent job of breaking them down into a digestable format for anyone with a high school education.

Brilliant Book!!
This book was brilliant. Sagan had a way of explaining science to young students and making it meaningful. We need more teachers like Carl in the future. It will be good for the country.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

an atheist's quagmire...
(3/16/2004) My earlier review was written a while ago. If you are interested in Man's origins, then go to astronomer Hugh Ross' website "Reasons To Believe" (simply type in the keywords Reasons To Believe into any search engine).

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I was a teenager in India when I watched the TV serial, Cosmos. Unfortunately I was swept away by Sagan's smooth rhetoric and thought Sagan's Science had all the answers. I discarded my Christian faith.

For the next 10 years, I still thought so; I avidly read books like Sagan's "Dragons of Eden", "Boca's Brain" and all the 'Zen...' books and many more.

However I came to a road block. There are questions that they cannot answer - Where did I come from?, Where am I going?, What happens after I die?, and the ultimate, Does my life matter?

The answers to these questions are found only in the words of Jesus. Sagan died a few years ago, a fervent atheist till the end. But I am certain, that where he is right now, he will agree with me (I am sad to say so) with despair. ... Read more

Book 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. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Stunning.
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.

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 images are indeed modern day religious icons that look AT you!
Each image can be contemplated for it's sheer beauty and can evoke awe and wonder at the mystery of creation and existence

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. Benson has done more than select the most interesting images from the past forty years of solar system exploration, many of them already familiar to space buffs. He has processed those images to produce jaw-dropping pictures, some rising to the level of art. In a few cases, he has combined images to form panoramas spread out over four unfolding pages.

The book begins with the Earth and its Moon, then moves to the Sun and the other planets from Mercury out to Neptune. Some of the most impressive images show moons transiting across the faces of Mars and Jupiter. The book includes a foreword by Arthur C. Clarke. Highly recommended.

Planets become worlds
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.

Beyond your usual book
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. ... Read more

Book Description

The fourth edition of this best-selling field guide has been completely revised and updated to include the latest information from leading astronomical sources. All the time-sensitive material is new and valid through 2010: solar eclipses, phases of the moon, positions of the planets, and more. Twenty-four Monthly Sky Maps, all newly revised and in color, show exactly what you'll see when facing north or south in the night sky. Fifty-two Atlas Charts, also revised and in color, cover the entire sky, including close-ups of areas of special interest such as the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula. The hundreds of thousands of devoted users of the previous editions of this guide have been eagerly awaiting this new volume so they can continue to enjoy their hobby in the coming decades. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great reference but poor for use in the field
This review is for the softcover version. I feel almost bad to give this great guide 3 stars. The book contains a lot of very good information - more so than many books several times larger. As such, it's an excellent reference for beginner and more advanced user alike. However, the book fails miserably for field use, which, ironically, it is supposed to be designed for.

The cover frays and acquires "dog-ears" in a relatively short time of field use. In contrast, the Audubon field guides use a much more resilient plastic softcover. The pages smude easily from finger oils - remember, this is a guide you should be able to use for 8 years or so (until the next edition) so these are unacceptable shortcomings IMHO. By far the biggest gripe I have with this book, however, is the the choice of red to identify galaxies, star clusters etc in the atlas charts. These marks completely disappear under red light(!!!), making the charts useless for finding deep sky objects in the field. Finally, how are you supposed to operate equipment and keep the book open? Because it lacks spiral binding, the only way to use it hands-off is to put a weight on the page you're referencing.

If you're looking for a great reference to use at home, this guide is hard to beat - in fact, I highly recommend it. However, look elsewhere for more useful star charts with deep sky objects to use in the field.

Great sky maps - and much more!
First, its great monthly sky charts - for both the southern and northern hemispheres, and its many detailed charts and diagrams (all in colors) will help you find almost any visible star, galaxy, nebula, consolation or planet. For the planets there are charts and diagrams about their trajectories and positions in the sky that are valid till 2010.
But beyond that, there's plenty of valuable info about most of the "popular" objects and consolations, accompanied by excellent pictures. And there are some other astronomy related tips for newcomers, such as on purchasing a telescope or binocular, or photographing the stars. All in all, it's an enjoyable and valuable reading book in addition to it being a great field guide.

Supreme writing and wonderful pictures
This was a great astronomy book that i used countless times with my telescope. without this book i would not be able to know where almost half the stars in the sky are. Wonderful writing that is easy for a amaueter astronomer like myself and many others. The pictures are the best part. The mind bending images of stars nebulaes and solar eclipses are enough. Wonderful book!!!

This is one of my "desert island" books.
If I had to choose a small number of books to take with me into exile on some deserted island somewhere, this would definitely be one of them (and offhand I'm not sure I can name any others).

An entire astronomy library packed into a single portable field guide, Jay Pasachoff's entry in the Peterson Field Guide series is a delightful introduction to, and reference for, the universe revealed in the night sky.

If you have any interest in astronomy at all, you can always find something in here to look at or just to sit and ponder about.

Besides the obvious things like monthly star charts for both northern and southern hemispheres, the book contains a complete 52 chart atlas of the sky put together by Wil Tirion with notes on objects in each chart, clever finder charts and tables for the planets for a ten year period, history and lore of the naming of the constallations, many, many photographs of astronomical objects taken by Hubble and other telescopes, an atlas of the moon, and many enlightening charts and tables of things like details of the brightest/nearest stars, the planets and their moons, and so on.

There's a section on each of the planets, and of course lots of coverage of the sun and eclipses of the sun and moon.

It always surprises me that this book doesn't seem to get as much respect in astronomical circles as I think it deserves. While you can certainly fill a library with astronomical books and atlases that are better than this field guide in any one area, you will not do better than this book in stuffing all of that information together in one "to go" package.

An excellent gift for a child starting to get interested in science and the world at large.

I could go on, but you should just buy the book and see for yourself :-)

G.

For those serious about learning astronomy
For the very new to star charts and guides, this was a bit daunting at first. It is not a quickie guide. But after reading through it and learning the terminology it has lived up the "Peterson field guides" tradition. The maps and charts are very clear and it is chock full of interesting facts. It even has a small section on telescopes and binoculars that was helpful.
This guide if full of wonderful pictures and charts, it has become one of the more dog eared field guides in the house right after my Petersons bird books!
I would defiantly recommend this book to any one who is serious about astronomy. ... Read more

Book Description

Comprehensive, authoritative coverage of interferometric techniques for radio astronomy

In this Second Edition of Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy, three leading figures in the development of large imaging arrays, including very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI), describe and explain the technology that provides images of the universe with an angular resolution as fine as 1/20,000 of an arcsecond.

This comprehensive volume begins with a historical review followed by detailed coverage of the theory of interferometry and synthesis imaging, analysis of interferometer response, geometrical relationships, polarimetry, antennas, and arrays. Discussion of the receiving system continues with analysis of the response to signals and noise, analog design requirements, and digital signal processing.

The authors detail special requirements of VLBI including atomic frequency standards, broadband recording systems, and antennas in orbit. Further major topics include:
* Calibration of data and synthesis of images
* Image enhancement using nonlinear algorithms
* Techniques for astrometry and geodesy
* Propagation in the neutral atmosphere and ionized media
* Radio interference
* Related techniques: intensity interferometry, moon occultations, antenna holography, and optical interferometry

Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy, Second Edition is comprehensive in that it provides an excellent overview of most radio astronomical instrumentation and techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

The development of the space industry in the Asian and Pacific Rim region provides the context for this book. The two major countries hoping for leadership in the area (apart from China), are Japan and India, both of whom have significant launcher capabilities. There is a general introductory chapter which places the space programmes of the region in the comparative context of the other space-faring nations of the world. The author reviews the main space programmes of Japan and India in turn, concentrating on their origins, the development of launcher and space facilities, scientific and engineering programmes, and future prospects. The book concludes with a chapter comparing how similarly/differently Japan and India are developing their space programmes, how they are likely to proceed in the future, and what impact the programmes have had in their own region and what they have contributed so far to global space research. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Insightful
This was an interesting read. I liked it because it changed what I thought about India's and Japan's space programs, and because it was quick to read through. The inclusion of payload masses and engine specifications was useful to me.

It also appears to be thoroughly comprehensive in its cataloging of orbital launches (successes and failures) through 1999 (minus perhaps one from Japan). It also mentions sounding rockets developed and used.

One curious omission is any discussion of India's military or defense goals with its space program. Perhaps there really are none, but the book describes tensions between the US and India over KVD-1 engine sales from Russia, suggesting to me that there is more of a story here than is told.

The limited budget information provided is insightful.

Certain sections are redundant and perhaps poorly written, but other than that, it wasn't bad. ... Read more

Book Description

In August 1930, on a voyage from Madras to London, a young Indian looked up at the stars and contemplated their fate. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar —Chandra, as he was called — calculated that certain stars would suffer a most violent death, collapsing to virtually nothing. This extraordinary claim, the first mathematical description of black holes, rankled one of the greatest astrophysicists of the day, Sir Arthur Eddington, who in 1935 publicly ridiculed Chandra, sending him into an intellectual and emotional tailspin — and hindering the progress of astrophysics for nearly forty years.

Tracing the rise of two great theories, relativity and quantum mechanics, which meet head on in black holes, Empire of the Stars is the dramatic story of this intellectual feud and its implications for
twentieth-century science. It"s also the moving tale of one man"s struggle against the establishment and of the deep-seated prejudices that plague even rational minds. Indeed, it wasn"t until the cold war that scientists realized the importance of Chandra"s work, which was finally awarded a Nobel Prize in 1983.

Set against the waning days of the British Empire, this sweeping history examines the quest to understand one of the most forbidding objects in the universe as well as the passions that fueled that quest over the course of a century. ... Read more

Book Description

Chaisson/McMillan's writing style and pedagogically driven art program are recognized as being scientifically accurate yet accessible to non-science majors. The integrated media program contains the market's only E-book. It provides readers with innovative and interactive tools to learn and test their understanding of astronomy concepts.Topics covered include Astronomy and the Universe, Our Planetay System, Stars and Stellar Evolution, Galaxies and Cosmology, and more.For one or two-semester introductory astronomy course. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

My Favorite Book
There is no better book on Astronomy. It's comprehensive, authoritative, and technical, yet completely accessible and fun to read for any novice. It covers every aspect of the Universe and Solar System with the latest information and theories, with thousands of interesting diagrams and pictures that explain things concisely. It also serves as a reference with it's many charts and listings. Every page is crammed with pertinent and fascinating reading; I didn't even realize it was a textbook for 2 days. This is the best 92 dollars I ever spent. (832 pages)

Beautiful book
Bought in on sight, compulsively, just couldn't deny myself the pleasure of possessing this piece. It's a book of basic astronomy, nothing terribly technical in it, good for a high-school student. The book is absolutely magnificent: nice paper, clear type, an awful lot of colorful illustrations, all very appropriate, in one word, everything you can wish for in a science book -- it is so beautiful, like a toy, you wanna eat it. If you got a kid, buy it. Actually, if you don't have a kid, buy it anyway, a kid is just a good excuse to spend the money on it; your family will fight over it.

nice book
It is a nice book of astronomy. New datas and complete explanations make it worth reading!

What astronomy lovers should know other than telescopes ...
Written for non-science college students, this book is highly recommended for anyone interested in astronomy. Its breath, clarity, superb illustrations and software are first rate. Prentice Hall appears to hvae repurposed this text for amateur astronomers in another book, Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe, which is nearly identical, albeit abbreviated in areas. Both books are an excellent value and users need to decide whether the academic version is worth more. Having read "Astronomy Today" cover to cover, there is much than can be shortened, such as when the authors discuss difficulties encountered in obtaining astronomy knowledge, rather than the knowledge itself. Its generous illustrations reinforce much of the text, taking this philosophy further, it could have been that much of the text could take a back seat to more detailed illustrations. Nevertheless a marvelous job!

Marvin Gozum, MD

great in depth explanations and pictures for non scientists
Designed as a textbook for non science college students, it contains great pictures and well written explanations of all parts of astronomy. I noticed this book while browsing through a bookstore and, much to my surprise, fell in love with it and had to have it. I have learned a lot. ... Read more

Book Description

All of science springs from the observations of nature. In this classic book, the late Marcel Minnaert accompanies the reader on a tour of nature's light and color and reveals the myriad phenomena that may be observed outdoors with no more than a pair of sharp eyes and an enquiring mind. From the intriguing shape of the dapples beneath a tree on a sunny day, to rainbows, mirages, and haloes, to the colors of liquid, ice, and the sky, to the appearance of the sun, moon, planets, and stars - Minnaert describes and explains them all in a clear language accessible to the general reader.

The author's enthusiasm inspires the reader, who is encouraged and given abundant opportunity to make his or her own observations and perform simple experiments. Yet the phototgrapher, astronomer, or physicist will also find a wealth of detailed information, much available elsewhere, on more exotic phenomena assembled by Minnaert over many years. Among them are Sun dogs, the fata morgana, coronae, glories, noctilucent and iridescent clouds, and haloes.

This volume includes 80 new photographs, over half in color, illustrating many of the phenomena - ordinary and exotic - discussed in the book. Most of the new photos are by Pekka Parviainen, the renowned Finnish nature photographer.

FROM THE REVIEWS:

PHYSICALIA "Photographers, astronomers and physicists will find a wealth of information on light phenomena in nature such as sun dogs, fata morganas, coronae, glories, noctilucent and iridescent clouds and haloes. All phenomena are described and explained in a clear language accessible to both scientists and laymen. This book contains 13 chapters, in which 273 phenomena are carefully described...The descriptions are lavishly illustrated with drawings, black-and-white and color photographs. The physical basis of all phenomena is clearly explained...The 80 new photographs mostly by the renowned Finnish nature photographer Pekka Perviainen, included in this new edition, help greatly to make this book attractive. This book shows clearly how intense physics and many nature phenomena are interwoven. It is interesting reading for a scientific minded observer of nature, including physicists with a keen eye for physical phenomena outside the laboratory."

CRUISING WORLD "Minnaert flawlessly explicates natural and artificial light effects from rainbows, halos, and twinkling heavenly bodies to the rarer evanescent dewbows, coronas, eclipse eccentricities and legendary Fata Morgana. After studying, diagramming and occasionally justifying them with mathematical formulae, he assembled them into this colorful encyclopedia, which he has made surprisingly lively with literary references, folklore and personal reminiscences...It belongs in the cockpit where it will serve best those sailors who wish to see more deeply into the universe's fascinating empire of light."

OPTIK "From the intriguing shape of the dapples beneath a tree on a sunny day, to rainbows, mirages, and haloes, to the colors of liquid, ice, and the sky, to the appearance of the sun, moon, planets, and stars - Minnaert describes and explains them all in a clear language accessible to the layman. The author's enthusiasm inspires the reader, who is encourages and given abundant opportunity to make his or her own observations and perform simple experiments. Yet the photographer, astronomer, or physicist will also find a wealth of detailed information, much unavailable elsewhere, on more exotic phenomena assembled by Minnaert over many years...The book is an invitation to rejoice in nature and science."

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYICS "Minnaert's book is a gem!...It is a wonderful book that should be known by everyone who has an interest in the natural visual world. It has enriched my life and the lives of many people whom I know."

SKY & TELESCOPE "LIGHT AND COLOR IN THE OUTDOORS is a one volume reference that covers every imaginable interaction of atmosphere and light from rainbows and halos to Sun pillars and noctilucent clouds. First published in 1940...this definitive book is once again available."

EDWARD R. TUFTE, AUTHOR OF "THE VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION" "A change-your-life classic . . . This deeply perceptive book changes our own perceptions of all kinds of light and color events in the outdoors. You will never see the same way again outdoors. Some examples involve elementary optics (which explain the visual phenomena) but nearly all the 278 short chapters can be appreciated by the visually alert reader. My favorite examples include dappled light, rainbows (there are always two), and differences between reflected and transmitted light in seeing leaves and grass. The Dover edition is fine; the Springer-Verlag edition is better with its excellent color photographs." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Change-Your-Life Classic
This deeply perceptive book changes our own perceptions of all kinds of light and color events in the outdoors. You will never see the same way again outdoors. Some examples involve elementary optics (which explain the visual phenomena) but nearly all the 278 short chapters can be appreciated by the visually alert reader. My favorite examples include dappled light, rainbows (there are always two), and differences between relected and transmitted light in seeing leaves and grass. The Dover edition is fine; the Springer-Verlag edition is better with its excellent color photographs.

Eye Pleasure
One of the most phenomenal books I've ever seen. This book describes and explains in very easily read prose, the complex visual phenomena of the natural world. It is almost a meditation on the natural world outdoors. I read it often not just as a reference. Be sure to read the introduction to the work. An excellent buy--I have purchased five copies over the years as gifts.

Great, great, great. Lives up to its promise.
Had the Dover edition (still available) for years, it's wonderful. Saw the updatedhardbound edition and shelled out fifty bucks on the spot, it's even better.If you have any interest in shadows, rainbows, halos, mirages, etc. you will find this book enormously satisfying. I've never seen such a wealth of phenomena so well observed, analyzed, and described. You will see more and notice more after you read this book. What is it? It's not quite optics, not quite natural history, not quite psychophysics or perceptual psychology. Unique. Reading Jack London and wonder what sun-dogs are? Reach for this book. Reading Hersey's "The War Lover" and wonder about the glory around airplane shadows? Reach for this book. ... Read more

Book Description

VOYAGES THROUGH THE UNIVERSE provides students and professors with the ideal combination of authors and experience. It is written by an award-winning astronomy educator (Fraknoi) and two distinguished research scientists (Morrison at NASA and Wolff at NOAO). This author team combines the latest science with classroom-tested teaching strategies and a student-friendly approach. Through unique group activities and a focus on astronomy as a human endeavor, the authors engage and involve students, helping them both understand and enjoy astronomy. The market-leading technology package includes access to InfoTrac®College Edition (free!) and TheSky? Student Edition CD-ROM (free!), as well as an optional package with the RedShift? College Edition CD-ROM (including animations) along with an accompanying workbook. ... Read more

Book Description

The exploration of the Universe which largely began to take place in the final decades of the 20th century is the story told in Hyperspace: Our Final Frontier. There have now been space probes to all the major planets of the Earth's Solar System -- the only worlds that are likely to be physically explored in our lifetime. Beyond the Solar System, across the final frontier of space, however, astronomers are now able to explore the Universe by proxy, using evidence from light, radio waves, x-ray, and other information gathered by telescopes on the Earth's surface and by orbiting satellites. Astronomers can now work out the life cycles of stars, the evolution of galaxies, the location of other solar systems, and the fate of the Universe itself.

Hyperspace: Our Final Frontier provides a compelling insight into the way that astronomers work, explaining how they make the discoveries that make headlines, as well as the stories behind those headlines. From the first steps which measured the distances to the nearest stars, to the latest discovery that the Universe is expanding at an ever faster rate, John Gribbin puts deep space into perspective with the aid of specially commissioned illustrations and revealing photographs from the latest generation of astronomical telescopes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Hyperspace: The Universe and its Mysteries
Hyperspace: The Universe and its Mysteries written by John Gribbin is a very well-written book and has some really beautiful pictures and illustrations.

"Hyperspace" takes the reader a a quest to find some answers as to how the universe and our galaxy was formed. This book is a companion to the TLC video "Hyperspace: Our Final Frontier." This book shows us how astronomers are now able to explore the universe by proxy... by light, radio waves, and x-rays. There is satellite information and revealing photography from the latest generation of astronomical telescopes all are here in the book making for some very interesting reading along with some interesting illustration to make a point.

The book's contents has but four chapters: Across the Universe, The Fate of the Universe, Making Contact, and Other Worlds. As you read the well-written narrative, you will learn about the universe and its wonders. This is an excellent text for understanding and learning about the universe without having an advanced degree.

Excellent companion to the series
Do not be fooled by the glossy exterior of this publication. Inside is a serious treatment of the latest theories and scientific discoveries about the cosmology of the universe. This companion book to the 2001 BBC television series Space, which also aired on The Learning Channel, is packed with fascinating information sure to interest teens who enjoy reading about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life and the ultimate fate of the universe. A visual feast, the book is chock full of stunning photographs and eye-catching illustrations. Although some of the material covered is very complex, Gribbin uses wonderful visual comparisons to clarify difficult concepts, comparing, for example, the dying radiation from a black hole to the fading smile of the Cheshire Cat. Throughout the book there are many interesting sidebars, including one that discusses the possibility that there actually might have been a Star of Bethlehem. The book also features starred quotations on some of its pages that help pique the reader's interest in the subject. Finally, each section in the chapter has helpful topic links to other areas of the book containing further information related to that topic. A wonderful follow-up to Carl Sagan's similar classic 1980 work, Cosmos, this beautiful and well-organized book would appeal both to teens with a beginning interest in the subject and those who are serious students of astronomy. The photos alone are worth the price of this highly recommended purchase for school and public libraries.

Packs color photos with easily-understood explanations
John Gribbin's Hyperspace accompanies a BBC/TLC special on the subject and packs over 250 color photos into a guide to the latest new theories and discoveries of astronomy. From how astronomers measure distances in space to theories about the origins, composition and nature of the universe, this packs color photos with easily-understood explanations.

A Good Companion To The Series
This book does not follow the TV series special blow by blow, but it does cover much of the same material and makes a great companion to the series.

Much of the material in this book is subject to change over the next few years as new discoveries are made, so if you are interested in "Hyperspace," get it soon to be assured that it is accurate.

I did not find this book to be as good a companion work as, say, "Cosmos" the book was when it came out with that groundbreaking series, but it's close. DK, as always, does an excellent job producing lively texts, and this is no exception. ... Read more

Book Description

This book by one of the leaders in adaptive optics covers the fundamental theory and then describes in detail how this technology can be applied to large ground-based telescopes to compensate for the effects of atmospheric turbulence. It includes information on basic adaptive optics components and technology, and has chapters devoted to atmospheric turbulence, optical image structure, laser beacons, and overall system design. The chapter on system design is particularly detailed and includes performance estimation and optimization. Combining a clear discussion of physical principles with numerous real-world examples, this book will be a valuable resource for all graduate students and researchers in astronomy and optics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The book is a must for readers interested in adaptive optics
The book does an excellent job of describing the basic principles and the practice of adaptive optics for astronomical applications.The author was a pioneer in adaptive optics and in the 1970s he built the first systemcapable of compensating a large astronomical telescope at visiblewavelengths.The book gives a good history of adaptive optics including anexcellent bibliography.Wavefront sensors, correctors, laser beacons, andwavefront reconstruction and control systems are described.Currentadaptive optics programs are described and future prospects are discussed. I had the good fortune of working with the author at the time the firstadaptive optics system was built and the author conveys in this book theexcitement we felt about adaptive optics at that time.While the book isvery specialized and technical, and the number of readers who will enjoythe book is limited, if you are interested in adaptive optics the readingof this book is a must. ... Read more

Book Description

For as long as there have been people, men and women have looked up into the night sky and wondered about the nature of the cosmos. Without the benefit of science to provide answers, they relied on myth and superstition to help them make sense of what they saw. Lucky for us, we live at a time when regular folks, equipped with nothing more than their naked eyes, can look up into the night sky and gain admittance to infinite wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, stars, galaxies , and even galactic clusters comprising hundreds of millions of stars and spanning millions of light-years.

Astronomy For Dummies tells you what you need to know to make sense of the world above us. Written by one of the most well-known astronomers in the world, this fun, fact-filled ,and accessible guide fills you in on the basic principles of astronomy and tells you how to:

• Identify planets and stars
• Explore our solar system, the Milky Way, and beyond
• Understand the Big Bang, quasars, antimatter, black holes, and more
• Join the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
• Get the most out of planetarium visits
• Make more sense out of space missions

From asteroids to black holes, quasars to white dwarfs, Astronomy For Dummies takes you on a grand tour of the universe.  Featuring star maps, charts, gorgeous full-color photographs, and easy-to-follow explanations it gives you a leg up on the basic science of the universe. Topics covered include:

• Observing the night sky, with and without optics
• Selecting binoculars and telescopes and positioning yourself for the best view
• Meteors, comets, and man-made moons
• Touring our solar system and becoming familiar with the planets, asteroids, and near Earth objects
• Our Sun, stars, galaxies, black holes and quasars
• SETI and planets revolving around other suns
• Dark matter and antimatter
• The Big Bang and the evolutions of the universe

You might think the cosmos is a vast and mysterious place, but Astronomy For Dummies will make it seem as friendly and familiar as your own backyard. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Good introduction to astronomy
I recall having a great interest in astronomy for a time when I was a kid. About two years ago, as an adult, my interest in astronomy was somehow revived, and I decided to buy (and read) this book. The book was very helpful in re-introducing me to astronomy. It helped me to really understand astronomical concepts much better. It also helped me to understand better the scientific explanations and theories behind the behavior and characteristics of the stars, planets, etc. The author does a good job of introducing one to astronomy. I recommend this book especially for beginners in astronomy.

Happly surprised.
At first glance, this book seemed to be another, "these are the planets and this is the sun..." type of third grader material because of the title. It was much more. Filled with websites, interesting facts, and tons of first-timer tips, this book is excellent for some that is wanting to get there feet wet in astronomy. Well organized and entertaining, I would buy it merely for the references to all the websites.

Review Of Astronomy For Dummies
I own several astronomy books and this is by far the most informative and interesting.

Very Helpful!!
This book is the most helpful book I've ever read. Since I'm new in astronomy I used this book to at least give me the basics. It gave me more than I could ever ask for! Some things I liked just reading about like solar eclipses and reading about the planets. I really don't need to know how to find the planets because my meade etx70at does all the work for me which I highly recomend for the casual observer. Anyways this book is very helpful and I think you'll like it.

Excelente
Sorry, Is there spanish version of this book?. Astronomy for dummies. ... Read more

Book Description

Photographs of outer space--produced by earthbound and space telescopes and planet-roving satellites--have captivated a vast audience. And nowhere has this audience found more enthralling views than on Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), a website so popular that it draws well over one million hits every week. The Universe: 365 Days presents in unprecedented clarity 365 spectacular images culled from the thousands that have been featured on the site, which has been hailed as one of the best science sites by both Scientific American and Popular Science magazines.

Following the enormously successful format of Abrams' Earth From Above: 365 Days, The Universe: 365 Days has been crafted by the two astrophysicists who in 1995, in collaboration with NASA, created and continue to maintain the APOD website. Accompanying each stunning image is a short explanatory text that greatly expands the reader's appreciation of the wonders of the cosmos. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

beautiful photography
There is a website called "Astronomy Picture of the Day". The website is exactly what it claims to be. Every day the website posts a new picture related to astronomy with a description of that picture written by a professional astronomer. With the first archived photo on that website from June 16, 1995, the editors of "The Universe: 365 Days" had nearly 8 years of photographs to draw on when this volume was published in May 2003. This book can be used like a calendar because that is how this book is laid out: every day of the year has an astronomy photograph, with a description of each picture.

As someone who knows very little about the universe, or astronomy, even with the descriptions next to the pictures I still wasn't always sure what I was looking at and how one picture was truly different from another. I understand that they look different and that they are pictures of very different parts of the universe, but the details are far beyond my comprehension. What is not beyond my comprehension is the fact that these are stunningly beautiful pictures. Even simple pictures that we may have seen many times before, like a picture of our planet from space, is striking and beautiful. Others are of star clusters and galaxies that are so far away and so alien that it boggles the mind to know that there are places like this out there and we really know nothing about what it would be like to travel there.

This book can be read as a calendar, where you flip the page each day and see what new photograph is waiting. It can be read like that, but I couldn't imagine only looking at one of these pictures a day. After seeing one picture, I just had to turn the page to see what wonder was waiting for me, and almost without exception, there was a wonder on every page. Beautiful space photography (though some are on Earth, and others looking out from Earth). If that sounds interesting, this collection is probably for you.

-Joe Sherry

Illuminating !
Ahhh... The beauty of the universe. Do you think it just formed itself? After looking thru the marvelous photos in this book, do yourself a favor and read up on the continuing war between science and religion.
Here is an excerpt from the latest book by Dan Brown...

"Science may have alleviated the miseries of disease and drudgery and provided an array of gadgetry for our entertainment and convenience, but it has left us in a world without wonder. Our sunsets have been reduced to wavelengths and frequencies. The complexities of the universe have been shredded into mathematical equations. Even our self-worth as human beings has been destroyed. Science proclaims that Planet Earth and its inhabitants are a meaningless speck in the grand scheme. A cosmic 'accident'. Even the technology that promises to unite us, divids us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone. We are bombarded with violence, division, fracture, and betrayal. Skepticism has become a virtue. Cynicism and demand for proof has become enlightened thought. Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than they have at any point in human history? Does science hold ANYTHING sacred? Science looks for answers by probing our unborn fetuses. Science even presumes to rearrange our own DNA. It shatters GOD's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning... and all it finds is more questions.
The ancient war between science and religion is over. Science has won. But not fairly. Not by providing answers, but by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opens doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual VOID. We cry out for meaning. There is a growing trend of people who profess to believe in UFO's, engage in chanelling, spirit contact, and out-of-body experiences- all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. They are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by its own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.
Science, the 'illuminati' say, will save us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species... moving down a path of desruction.
To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campain to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. You even murder unborn children in the name of research that will save lives. But it is the church that points out the fallacy of this reasoning. And all the while, you proclaim that the church is ignorant. But who is MORE ignorant? The man who cannot define lightning, or the man who does not respect its awesome power?
Show me proof that there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes to look to the heavens, and tell me how there could not be a God. Do you not see God in your science? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greather than us?
Whether or not you believe in God, you must admit that when people abandon their trust in a greather power, they abandon their sense of accountability. Faith, all Faiths are adomitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable... With faith we are accountable to ourselves, to each other, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because MAN is flawed. Simply put, we people with faith belong to a brotherhood of imperfect simple souls wanting only to be a voice of compassion in a world rapidly spinning out of control."

~ From Angels & Demons

a must have for all ages, all walks of life
This book is nothing short of phenomenal. I keep buying it for people because I know they will be enthralled. Each photograph is awe inspiring and the accompanying text just boggles the mind. You can get lost for several minutes just gazing at a single photograph, contemplating the nature of the universe. Petty concerns dissolve as you stretch your mind around the concepts so beautifully depicted. This book is a treasure to enjoy for a lifetime.

Gorgeous
You know about the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, don't you? If not, check it out; I can't post the URL here but a quick search will turn it up.

This book is a collection of some of the very best pictures from that marvellous site. Most of the pictures are images of Very Cool Stuff from around the cosmos: comets whacking into Jupiter, galaxies forming, that sort of thing. And wow, it sure is _big_ out there.

The stuff close to home is fascinating enough in its own right that the book pays for itself with just the images from within our very own solar system. The shots of the other planets and their moons are culled from the various flyby missions and, naturally, they are _way_ better than anything that was available when I was a kid.

There are a few that are _very_ close to home, and these are cool too. Some show either the Earth (from orbit) or a view of its sky (during the Hale-Bopp visitation, for example). A handful are of other things entirely (including one of the most effective Magic Eye pictures I've ever seen).

They are all of them stunning, captivating, and gorgeous. If you aren't pretty much transfixed by this stuff, then you and I probably aren't from the same homeworld.

And the short commentary that accompanies each image was written by a qualified, competent astronomer. Does life _get_ any better than this?

Don't forget to visit the website, too. There are lots more images in its archives than would fit into this book.

Amazing picturer after amazing picture
If you've spent some time on the Internet, you've come across the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APoD) website, run by astrophysicists Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell. Once a day they post up a space-related picture, provide a handy description. I've said to myself on several occasions, that these guys should write a book. Well, now they have.

The Universe: 365 Days is a print version of APoD, and it's one of the most gorgeous astronomy books I've ever seen. Open it up to any page: on your right is a full-page photograph, and on your left is a paragraph description about the picture. That's it, 365 pages of description/picture, rinse, repeat. Not much else to say. If you like pictures of space and astronomy, then you're going love it, page after page.

Because there are so many photographs, the authors were able to draw from a large pool of images. So, it isn't just the same old NASA/Hubble pictures that everyone uses, there are some from more obscure observatories and even amateur astronomers. There's a handy index at the back so you seek out images by topic.

I understand why they decided to go with the whole 365 days concept; it's a connection to their website. But then, it's not like you're going to read the book one day at a time, like some kind of yearlong astronomical advent calendar.

Let me just stick my drooling tongue back in my mouth for a second and let you know my complaints with the book. First, the text is really small. Unreasonably small considering that it's swimming in white space. The layout person should have been thinking about all the people who might be reading this book, and steered well away from 9 point font. My other complaint is that it feels fragile. Imagine you're holding a stack of nearly 400 photographs bound together on the left-hand side. I'm worried that it might come apart with all the use it'll get sitting on a coffee table. I'm afraid to let my kid look through it, as she'll render it into pulp in minutes.

Still, complaints aside The Universe: 365 Days is a fantastic book. Gorgeous photographs put into context by scientists who've had years of experience boiling complex concepts into handy, bite-sized write-ups. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A Traveler's Guide to Mars revitalizes the Red Planet, leaving readers with the urge to don a spacesuit and take a long trip. With the look and heft of a guide to someplace you might actually go, the book presents Mars as a place of canyons and volcanoes, mesas, and barren plains, not that dissimilar from parts of Earth. Author William K. Hartmann, who participated in the Mars Global Surveyor mission, uses all the photos and data collected by scientists in decades of research to give a thorough, yet not boring, overview of the planet. The most exciting stuff is about water--whether it ever flowed on Mars, where it went, why it's hard to find. Beyond that, there are the rocks, dust, and weather to talk about, and Mars has lots of all three. Sidebars, maps, and chronologies help keep the regions and geology of Mars organized. Hartmann never forgets he's writing for the lay reader, and his style is personable and clear. When answering claims of NASA cover-ups, ancient civilizations, and hidden structures on Mars, he calmly lays out the facts and pictures, urging readers to simply examine the evidence. Hartmann offers a tourist's-eye view of one of our most intriguing planetary neighbors and does more to polish NASA's tarnished image than a thousand press releases. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (8)

THE book on Mars
This book may very well be the best popular science book I've ever read. The story of what we know about Mars and how it was discovered unfolds in an exciting progression that leaves one convinced that not only has there been a lot of water on Mars in the past, but there is almost certainly still a lot of it underground all over the planet.

The story is lavishly illustrated with many amazing high-resolution images from the Mars Global Surveyor and other orbiter missions, along with a dozen or so of the author's own paintings.

The book answered all of the nagging quesitons I had about whether or not there's really evidence of water on Mars, and several times a question that formed in my mind (like "ok, maybe it was some fluid other than water like liquid CO2") was explicitly answered on the next page.

This book is a real gem, and if you want quick fun way to pick up the appropriate background for enjoying and understanding the results from the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions then this is it.

Sadly The Brittish Beagle 2 lander seems to have followed the Simplified Planetary Local Approach Trajectory that was favored by many previous attempts to land on Mars, but with the success (so far) of Spirit and high hopes for Opportunity landing soon, there will be plenty of exciting new information about Mars available soon, and I can only hope that the author of this book sees fit to give us a second edition in a year or so that summarizes all the new knowlege.

But for now, this it *the* book to get up to speed on Mars.

G.

Wonderful tour with a great guide
If I were to take a guided trip to Mars, there are a handful of people that I'd like to choose my guide from - people who have spent their careers trying to understand Mars from the Mariner, Viking and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Bill Hartmann is certainly one of the members of that pool. He cut his geological teeth on the moon with Gerard Kuiper in the early 60's, and made wonderful, major contributions to our understanding of the moon. Then he has been involved in all the major Mars missions since the start. He is an artist as well as a scientist, so he informs this book with the soul of an artist as well as the mind of a scientist.

When I first saw the promotional literature for this book, I was struck by the beauty of the images in it. The book itself did not disappoint. It is a paperback, in the format of a field guide, but it is richly illustrated with color and black and white images. The book has two large fold-out maps - one of the best pre-space probe maps showing the Mars that can be seen with a telescope, and a topographic maps from the Mars Global Surveyor mission.

Hartmann uses his "Traveler's Guide" format to take us on a tour of Mars. The organization of the tour is based on the geological history of the Red Planet. So along the way, in addition to seeing the most fascinating places on Mars, we learn their geological context in chronological sequence.

Although it would be easy to bury the reader in geological jargon, Hartmann succeeds in making the study of Mars accessible and exciting. It is clear from reading the text that Mars is a world that still harbors many surprises for us. He is not afraid to share his thoughts with the reader - but he is careful to point out where they depart from the main stream. But given Hartmann's track record, one has to give his speculations more weight than most. He also enlivens the book with a thread of his personal journey as a Mars scientist in a series of stories from his career labeled, "My Martian Chronicle" that are is interwoven with the main text. These help illuminate the human side of the scientist.

Highly recommended!

A wonderful tour of our most fascinating planetary neighbor
In thruth, I can add little more to the other Amazon reviews other than to say that they are right. William Hartmann's "A Traveler's Guide to Mars : The Mysterious Landscapes of the Red Planet" is a wonderful tour of Earth's most intriguing planetry neighbor, incorporating both a lively history of our evolving knowledge of Mars and also a up-to-date guide to the most fascinating mysteries. What are the sources of the strange gullies and canyons that sometimes stretch hundreds of miles? Why do vast areas of the Martian surface look like gigantic staircases? How much water is there?

The photographs from various interplanetary probes are marvelous and the maps eye-opening. The format of the book makes it especially suited for browsing -- dipping in here and there as whim takes the reader -- yet it also merits a more methodical approach to discover what four decades of space exploration has taught us about Mars.

So when does the first flight leave?
Some of us who saw the lunar landing in 1969 are still wondering why we haven't gotten to Mars yet. Shouldn't that have been next?

Well, it still could be, and you can get more information on the possibilities by checking out the Mars Society and Red Colony websites. (I can't post the URLs here but in each case your first guess will be correct.)

And if you want more information on the planet Mars itself, this is the book you want.

Packed with gorgeous photos from the various Mars missions (and some from Earth for purposes of comparison and inference), this book is a garden of delights for areophiles: the very latest information and theories about the red planet, interspersed with the reminiscences and personal views of the author, astronomer William Hartmann, all in a very high-quality glossy paperback designed for long shelf life -- and, one hopes, for interplanetary travel.

If you've ever wondered what gives Syrtis Major its dark color, or even if you've just looked at the night sky once in a while wondering what the heck might be _out there_, you'll find something to engage you in this volume.

Have a look. Then let's start getting ready to go.

A must-read!!!
This is book is simply amazing!! I wish I could give it ten stars - off the scale. The author has captured the majesty and mystery of Mars, clearly and concisely. Filled with hundreds of stunning, high resolution photographs, the book a real page turner for anyone in the general public who yearns to know what's out there awaiting us on Mars. ... Read more

Book Description

The most famous guide to the stars is now the most accessible! Generations of amateur astronomers have called it simply Norton's: the most famous star atlas in the world. Now in a beautifully redesigned, two-color landmark 20th edition, this combination star atlas and reference guide has no match in the field.

First published in 1910, coinciding with the first of two appearances by Halley's Comet last century, Norton's owes much of its legendary success to its unique maps, arranged in slices or gores, each covering approximately one-fifth of the sky. Apart from being presented more accessibly than ever before, the text and tables have been revised and updated to account for the new and exciting developments in our observation of the cosmos. The star maps themselves were plotted using advanced computer techniques yielding outstanding accuracy and legibility. Every heavenly object visible to the naked eye is included--stars to magnitude 6, star clusters, and galaxies, as well as other celestial objects. Presented with an authority that has stood for generations, observation hints, technical explanations, and pointers to specialized information sources make this the only essential guide to the night sky.

The updated and revised hardcover 20th edition also has new moon maps, clearer tables, new diagrams and a section on the latest computer driven telescopes--today's perfect home reference for curious minds from beginners to dedicated star gazers!

What are people saying? ... "The unique and time-honored projection used in the Norton's star charts is particularly handy and has always been my favorite." --Professor Owen Gingerich, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

"Once in a blue moon a book appears to dramatically and forever change its subject; in short, the work becomes an indispensable resource for generations. Norton's Star Atlas is such a work." --Leif J. Robinson, Editor Emeritus, Sky and Telescope

"Ian Ridpath is one of the most dedicated and prolific writers on astronomy. His works all have clarity and authority, and he is ideally suited to infuse new life into a classic." --Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, University of Cambridge, author of Our Final Hour

Reviews (5)

20th edition, second printing is spectacular!
In a previous review I expressed disappointment that a printing error seriously marred the usefulness of the latest edition of this updated classic. Well, the publisher tracked me down and sent a copy of the second printing. I am delighted to report that all the errors have been fixed and this new edition is a wonderful addition to any amateur astronomer's bookshelf (or eyepiece case). The text begins with excellent discussions of time and celestial coordinate systems (often confusing to beginner and long-timer alike). The new higher contrast moon maps are a major improvement over the washed-out maps in some previous editions. The heart of the atlas are the 16 starcharts, presented in the two-disk/six gore format familiar to lovers of the previous editions of the Norton's. These maps are more readable than ever, giving visual precidence to the stars themselves rather than labels, grid lines, etc. A thoughtful touch was to print the charts with a generous gutter margin so that stars near the celestial equator don't get trapped out of sight down in the spine of the book. As a matter of style I differ (perhaps) with another reviewer who would have liked to have seen color photographs--I guess I am nostalgic for the familiar "Norton's Green" and appreciate that editor Ridpath and designer Nix have continued the tradition in what is otherwise a major update of the classic. They are to be commended for this beautiful, useful, and authoritative book.

It's actually more readable under red flashlight !
My first impression of this new edition is, "What a beautiful book" ! And indeed, a lot of improvements have been introduced, with substantial new materials.
One thing most people forgot to mention about this "old classic" is that it does not shy away from hard technical definitions, tables, and quite a few key equations, which a serious observer will eventually need. Yes, it does not contain color astrophoto plates to make the readers feel warm and fuzzy, but it does contain more key information in one place.
I wish the other more detailed atlases could consider adding information like these in Norton's.
After browsing the atlas chart pages for a few minutes, I started to worry a little bit, especially after seeing the other reviewers' comments about the Green labels/fonts on top of green Milky Way background color. Under normal lighting it is certainly readable, but one tends to think the old black labels might have worked better...
Well, worry NOT ! When viewed in the darkness of the night under red flashlights, the green labels on green milky way background actually turn out to be clearer ! This design for better field usage justifies the choice of two-color printing in this new edition.
It's the same price as the previous edition, but in hardcover and heavy duty paper. What more can one ask for ?
Definitely a must for any astronomy lover !

Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook
The most elegant and handsome edition of this classic I've ever
seen.Don't leave home (at night) without it!!
(No stars missing in my copy!)

New Edition
I purchased a copy of the 20th edition of Norton's (marked second printing on the copyright page) and I was pleased to find that the first printing errors I've read about have all been corrected. Having used Norton's since I was a youngster, all I can say is, "Wow!" This new edition bears no resemblance to the very old-fashioned (but extremely useful) book I've had for some time. The new maps are clear and easy to use, the tables are large and simple to follow, and the section on Practical Astronomy is particularly well composed and presented. I wish there were some color photos of the planets taken by amatuers- especially of Mercury's recent show-but there are many other books that do it. Perhaps in a 21st edition, the publisher will add color photos. I think many readers would welcome that.
I'll need to see if the claim on the jacket is true, that the maps will be easier to use in red light because of the green ink, but overall, I'd say this is a long overdue and fantastic revision. Extremely well done!

MAJOR typo in early shipment of this edition (now corrected)
The Norton's Star Atlas is one of the great traditions of amateur astronomy. Unfortunately, the early printings of the 20th edition are marred by a serious typographic error that makes them useless: in many of the star charts the Milky Way is shown as a green band that blots out all the stars in the plane of our galaxy. This new edition is a wonderful update of the classic, but before you buy make sure that this error in the charts has been corrected. (These errors have been corrected in the second printing. Please see my revised review. RS) ... Read more