Here are 70 books that Good Night Galaxy fans have personally recommended if you like
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I am an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. I use telescopes on Earth and in space to study supernovae (the explosions of stars) and tidal disruption events (bright flares caused by supermassive black holes ripping apart nearby stars). I have wanted to be a scientist since second grade, and some of the books on this list have helped kindle my passion for physics and astronomy. I hope that my own popular science books will do the same for the next generation of astronomers.
There are many introductory books about cosmology out there, but this is the book I read when I was a teenager in high school, and it’s the one I still recommend to everyone (including my wife and my parents).
As its name suggests, this book describes the history and physics of the Big Bang theory, which is just an excuse to discuss cosmology in general. Some of the details are out of date or not quite right, but it’s still a great place to start.
The bestselling author of Fermat's Last Theorem and The Code Book tells the story of the brilliant minds that deciphered the mysteries of the Big Bang. A fascinating exploration of the ultimate question: how was our universe created?
Albert Einstein once said: 'The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.' Simon Singh believes geniuses like Einstein are not the only people able to grasp the physics that govern the universe. We all can.
As well as explaining what the Big Bang theory actually is and why cosmologists believe it is an accurate description of the origins…
I am an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. I use telescopes on Earth and in space to study supernovae (the explosions of stars) and tidal disruption events (bright flares caused by supermassive black holes ripping apart nearby stars). I have wanted to be a scientist since second grade, and some of the books on this list have helped kindle my passion for physics and astronomy. I hope that my own popular science books will do the same for the next generation of astronomers.
I leafed through a copy of this book in my local library and immediately bought a copy to read with my daughters. Suitable for kindergarten and older children learning to read, it describes how several cultures conceptualized the night sky and the stories they told about the patterns they saw in the stars.
I loved how it didn’t just stick to ancient Greece but also introduced readers to African stories of the Milky Way, the astronomies of ancient Egypt and China, modern telescopes, and even how certain animals use the stars for navigation. The text is sliced into short, easy-to-read paragraphs, and the paintings are gorgeous.
What stories, mysteries and secrets can you find in the stars?
A wonderful illustrated tour of the night sky for children aged 5+ years. Lara Hawthorne's beautiful illustrations take the reader on one of the most fascinating journeys that humankind has ever made and one that is common to us all.
From ancient Egyptians building the pyramids, to early Polynesian sailors criss-crossing the Pacific Ocean, and astronauts travelling into space, the night sky has guided and inspired people across the world, and throughout time.
Now it's your turn to look to the skies and discover the mysteries they hide.
I am an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. I use telescopes on Earth and in space to study supernovae (the explosions of stars) and tidal disruption events (bright flares caused by supermassive black holes ripping apart nearby stars). I have wanted to be a scientist since second grade, and some of the books on this list have helped kindle my passion for physics and astronomy. I hope that my own popular science books will do the same for the next generation of astronomers.
I read this book when I was in primary school (5th or 6th grade). When I finished it, I immediately asked my parents for the next book (Black Holes and Uncle Albert) and the next (Uncle Albert and the Quantum Quest).
These books introduced me to Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity, as well as quantum physics. It was easy to relate to Einstein’s imaginary niece, Gedanken (German for “thought”, from Einstein’s famous thought experiments), as she went zooming off at velocities close (but never equal) to the speed of light. This is one of the first books that made me want to become a physicist.
The Time and Space of Uncle Albert is book one in the bestselling Uncle Albert science and adventure series.
Famous scientist Uncle Albert and his niece Gedanken enter the dangerous and unknown world of a thought bubble. Their mission: to unlock the deep mysteries of Time and Space...
In this action-packed adventure story, discover why you can't break the ultimate speed barrier, find out how to become older than your mother, how to put on weight without getting fat, and how to live forever without even knowing it.
When you have enjoyed The Time and Space of Uncle Albert you…
I am an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. I use telescopes on Earth and in space to study supernovae (the explosions of stars) and tidal disruption events (bright flares caused by supermassive black holes ripping apart nearby stars). I have wanted to be a scientist since second grade, and some of the books on this list have helped kindle my passion for physics and astronomy. I hope that my own popular science books will do the same for the next generation of astronomers.
Ever look up at the night sky and wonder where, exactly, all those constellations everyone keeps talking about are? In this book, H. A. Rey (better known for creating Curious George!) provides all the information you will ever need to identify the constellations and observe them as they move across the sky throughout the seasons.
I was amazed to learn that some of the diagrams we use to illustrate constellations were drawn by H. A. Rey, who found the ancient diagrams unreliable (I have only ever known Gemini the way Rey drew it, yet I never knew it was him until I chanced on this book). The explanations are incredibly detailed but easy to follow, and the charming cartoons sprinkled throughout the book made me wish H. A. and Margaret Rey had written a Curious George book about astronomy, as well.
The go-to guide to the stars for beginners and experts alike.
With clear, readable text, easy-to-follow diagrams, and a sprinkling of H. A. Rey's irrepressible humor, The Stars: A New Way to See Them gives sparkle to the constellations and makes the mechanics of the universe intelligible to even the novice astronomer.
This updated version of the classic text includes revised facts and figures for planets and new scientific details,
This is a clear, vivid astronomy reference book. As Learning Through Literature puts it: "The Stars: A New Way to See Them is a great introduction to astronomy. It's readable…
I’m an actor and writer who has been delving deep into my imagination for as long as I can remember. I’m originally from New York where I studied film/TV and acting, and worked in the less imaginative world as a writer/producer at NBC News. After moving to Los Angeles, I became a long-time member of the respected "Theatre East", while performing in a number of theater productions, and then went full tilt into film and TV. I also write screenplays of varying genres and in fact my two books are also in screenplay format as I would love to see them on the big and small screens.
This is one of those coffee table books you’ll pick up time and again. A wonderful resource for kids and adult space fanatics alike to get the imaginative juices going as we all look to the stars and planets and wonder about our place in the universe.
It’s part of a National Geographic book series so you know you’re getting the best-sourced and most recent info. Even writers of fiction need good sources from which to create!
For space enthusiasts, science lovers, and star gazers, the newly revised edition of National Geographic's enduring guide to space, with a new introduction by American hero Buzz Aldrin, combines thoroughly updated maps, lavish photographs, and elegant illustrations to chart the solar system, the universe, and beyond.
A guided tour of the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, the universe, and beyond, with detailed maps and fascinating imagery from recent space missions partnered with clear, authoritative scientific information. Starting with the sun and moving outward into space, acclaimed science writer and physicist James Trefil illuminates each planet, the most important moons,…
Barbara J. Becker received her PhD in the history of science from Johns Hopkins University. Until her retirement, she taught at the University of California at Irvine and now resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a leading authority on astronomer William Huggins. Her research interests include the role of the amateur in the development of nineteenth-century professional astronomy, the redefining of disciplinary boundaries in the face of new knowledge and new practice, and the role of controversy in shaping the substance and structure of scientific knowledge. She is the author of numerous journal articles and editor of Selected Correspondence of William Huggins (2 volumes).
Young people today casually speak of "galaxies far, far away". They seem to have an intuitive, even if fanciful, understanding that, like science fiction aliens, they and their fellow humans also reside in a galaxy of their own. A mere century ago, such a belief was a matter of highly debatable conjecture. How did earthbound observers learn that the Sun is just one of the hundreds of billions of stars bound gravitationally in a vast spiral-shaped galaxy?
As Minding the Heavens ably demonstrates, the answer to that question is a long and fascinating story, one that author Leila Belkora vividly recounts using chapter-length biographies of seven astronomers from the 18th to the 20th centuries. With help from their assistants and family as well as communication with contemporaries, these curiosity-driven individuals endeavored to determine the form and structure of the celestial realm and learn the true nature of the mysterious hazy…
"A terrific blend of the science and the history."
Martha Haynes, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University, New York, USA
"The book is a treat... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries."
Peter Hepburn, now Head Librarian, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, USA
Today, we recognize that we live on a planet circling the sun, that our sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy we call the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is but one of billions born out of the Big Bang. Yet, as recently as…
I consider myself a seeker. Several experiences, such as experiencing the buzzing that Robert Monroe mentions, seeing objects with my eyes closed, and meeting a spirit guide, led me to realize that the universe is more mysterious than what science can explain. Perhaps we will develop the technology to measure these phenomena someday. Or maybe we already have? The US Army's “Stargate Project,” deemed as unhelpful, is one example, but what about the projects they haven't declassified? It’s fun to think about. Combined with a huge interest in astronomy, I enjoy learning from a variety of sources, never holding anything tightly, because what we know is always changing.
This is probably the most esoteric and strange of my picks, but it also lines up with the conclusions that the other two books offer. In short, this is a channeled work that offers a coherent picture of how life evolved in the galaxy. Now I won’t say that I believe everything in this book literally, but I have found it to be a powerful and expansive perspective when thinking about my own personal evolution and how it relates to the growth of our entire galaxy. From answering the questions about intelligent life beyond our planet, to how a galaxy grows, to what it means for the future of Earth, this book is a trip.
Who are the ancient astronauts? Why did they first come to Earth? Why are they returning now? What part did they play in building the great monuments of antiquity? What part did they play in the formation of present and earlier civilizations? With what other beings do we share our universe? And where does the Earth fit into the cosmic scheme of things? Almost twenty years of experimental work with telepathy led to the "breakthrough" contact recorded in this book. The Ra Material is an account not only of the events leading up to this contact, but of over 200…
I was trained in astronomy and astrophysics, was a staff observer at the Lick and Yerkes Observatories, and always have had a passion for researching and writing the history of modern astrophysics and space astronomy. I hold a PhD in the history of astronomy from the University of Leicester in England, am now a retired museum curator having been a planetarium lecturer, college professor, research associate for the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics, and guitar teacher in the early 1960s.
A penetrating, creative, and highly accessible exploration of how the incredible images from the Hubble Space Telescope were selected and produced. Most intriguing and revealing is an analysis of the context of these images within the history of frontier landscape art.
The vivid, dramatic images of distant stars and galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope have come to define how we visualize the cosmos. In their immediacy and vibrancy, photographs from the Hubble show what future generations of space travelers might see should they venture beyond our solar system. But their brilliant hues and precise details are not simply products of the telescope's unprecedented orbital location and technologically advanced optical system. Rather, they result from a series of deliberate decisions made by the astronomers who convert raw data from the Hubble into spectacular pictures by assigning colors, adjusting contrast, and…
I am both a writer and a publisher of Superversive fiction. Even before I encountered the term and the official definition of it, my fiction writing has always tended to be Superversive. Which makes sense as I am drawn to Superversive stories as a reader. I want to read and write about heroes and heroines. I want to be drawn into incredible universes and taken along on amazing adventures. I want stories where evil appears to be winning but good eventually finds a way to triumph in the end.
Partially because I credit Jack for inspiring me to give my own fiction writing one more try when I decided to retire from sports writing. Having read this book and being hooked on the entire series, I read about his life’s journey and saw many similarities to mine. As for the book itself, the thought of how future archaeologists would approach their craft on a galactic scale, and how solving ancient mysteries could impact current events so, really captured my imagination.
Jack McDevitt's A TALENT FOR WAR takes Alex Benedict into the heart of an alien galaxy in a thrilling interstellar adventure. 'A real writer has entered our ranks, and his name is Jack McDevitt' Michael Bishop, Nebula-winning author
Everyone knows the legend of Christopher Sim. An interstellar hero with a rare talent for war, he changed mankind's history forever when he forged a rag-tag group of misfits into the weapon that broke the alien Ashiyyur.
But now, in a forgotten file, Alex Benedict has found a startling piece of information. If it is true, then Christopher Sim was a fraud.…
I grew up in a small Welsh town and I read to escape into other worlds. My love of myth and legend began when I came across a book of Greek myth in the library. I fell in love with the great voyages, the larger-than-life characters, the snake-haired monsters, and flying horses. I’ve been collecting legends ever since. I studied comparative literature at university, which included epic tales from all over the world and I was struck by how the same motifs come up again and again – quests, battles, magic. I love any story that takes you out of your everyday surroundings and into adventure.
This book took my breath away when I first read it. An adventure travelling across galaxies, weaving ancient mythology with aliens and spaceships and stars that may literally be singing. I have the hardback edition and the illustrations are stunning. Parts of the book have a graphic novel feel, with the illustrations picking up the storyline and taking it forward. It’s an unforgettable journey.
1
author picked
Phoenix
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
4,
5,
6, and
7.
What is this book about?
A BOY WITH THE POWER OF A STAR . . .
Lucky thinks he's an ordinary Human boy. But one night, he dreams that the stars are singing to him, and wakes to find an uncontrollable power rising inside him.
Now he's on the run, racing through space, searching for answers. In a galaxy at war, where Humans and Aliens are deadly enemies, the only people who can help him are an Alien starship crew - and an Alien warrior girl, with neon needles in her hair . . .
