Deep Space: Beyond the Solar System to the Edge of the Universe and the Beginning of Time

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.)