Explore Space with these January Titles

Interplanetary Robots: True Stories of Space Exploration by Rod Pyle

 

A NASA insider tells the exciting story of  missions of robotic spacecraft to every corner of our solar system and beyond. Drawing on his perspective as a writer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ground zero for NASA’s planetary exploration, the author further details plans now in development to look for signs of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa, submarines that will dive into the hazy hydrocarbon lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan, and intelligent spacecraft that will operate for months without human intervention on Mars and in the outer solar system well into the 2030s.

Gemini 4: An Astronaut Steps into the Void by David J. Shayler

 

From the Springer Praxis Books Series, this is the story of Gemini 4, a 1965 NASA mission, which accomplished the first ever American spacewalk, where an astronaut works outside the ship: in space. It also broke the U.S. record for flight duration with astronauts (Jim McDivitt and Ed White) on board.

Universal Life: An Inside Look Behind the Race to Discover Life Beyond Earth by Alan Boss

 

Alan Boss, the Chair of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group, proved that essentially every star in the night sky has a planetary system, and that most of these systems contain a habitable world, potentially capable of evolving and supporting life. Here, he summarizes the current state of exoEarth knowledge, and also reveals what will happen next in the post-Kepler world, namely the narrowing of the search for habitable worlds to the stars that are the closest to Earth, those that offer the best chances for future ground- and space-based telescopes to search for, and detect, possible signs of life in their atmospheres.

 

Cruise Ship Astronomy and Astrophotography by Gregory I. Redfern

 

Part of the Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series, this fun how-to guide to observing and doing astrophotography on water will enrich your next vacation. Learn what to pack, the best ways to enjoy the night sky from your cruise ship observatory, specific astronomical objects and events to look out for, and the nitty-gritty details of taking pictures of the night sky. The book is illustrated with amazing color astrophotographs taken by the author while following the steps laid out in this book.