Product details
- ISBN 9781911624004
- Weight: 360g
- Dimensions: 141 x 191mm
- Publication Date: 06 Jun 2019
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
- Language: English
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A beautifully presented, practical gift guide to 50 sights in the skies.
This year has seen a total eclipse of the sun, and the northern lights visible as far south as London. There's never been a better time to understand exactly what's above us.
Explained with fascinating, easy-to-understand commentary from astrophysicist and science communicator, Sarah Barker, and illustrated throughout with captivating drawings by Maria Nilsson, each of the fifty ideas helps you locate an incredible sight.
Whether you use the naked eye, a telescope, or fall into a black hole of online research, you’ll discover the limitless wonder of the skies – from otherworldly phenomena on Earth like sun dogs, to planets, moons, stars, lunar craters and galaxy clusters.
The book is divided into three main sections:
Naked Eye: Learn how navigators travelled in the past by finding the North Star; say hello to our astronauts and learn how to spot the International Space Station; see a red supergiant star (Betelgeuse); and find out more about solar eclipses.
Further Afield: Find out more about the next closest galaxy, Andromeda; learn about the discovery of Saturn’s ‘ears’ (or rings!); spot an alien storm that’s as big as the Earth; and track ‘Little Green Men’ and ice volcanoes.
Far, Far Away: Learn how baby stars are created by the Pillars of Creation; marvel at the Hubble Deep Field; and unearth the brightest things in our universe, quasars.
The book also includes advice on ideal conditions for observing the stars, telescopes and binoculars, and navigating the skies. With extra tips and a rundown of useful tools, you’ll find everything you need to get out there and look up!
Sarah Barker is an astrophysicist, science communicator and producer with years of experience turning ambitious ideas into award-winning television and live events. She has collaborated with NASA, National Geographic, Discovery, the BBC and Channel 4 on various programmes, including ‘Live from Space’ and ‘Earth Live’. Originally from the UK, Sarah currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Maria Nilsson is a freelance illustrator based in London. Her illustrations are heavily influenced by the natural world, exploring various tactile qualities of colour, pattern and texture. She is the illustrator behind Fifty Things to Do with a Penknife, Forty Knots and How to Tie Them and Pittipat’s Saucer of Moon.
