Sunday, June 9, 2013

Smithsonian Universe

9780756698416HSmithsonian Universe = The Definitive Visual Guide
Published at DK Canada

About the book

From the fiery mass of the Sun's core to the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Universe takes you on the ultimate guided tour of the cosmos. Full of stunning out-of-this world images reflecting recent advances in space imagery, you'll go on a journey from our solar system all the way to the farthest limits of space.

With information on the nature of the universe, the study of cosmology, Earth's motion, modern telescopes, astrophotography, and even a comprehensive star atlas, this groundbreaking encyclopedia takes a dazzling and expansive look at the Universe and is a must-have for both students and astronomy enthusiasts.

Includes a comprehensive star atlas that covers all the constellations and planetary charts showing their positions right up to 2019, with entries on each of the 88 constellations and notable celestial objects that lie within them, and a monthly sky guide showing the night sky as it appears throughout the year.

My Thoughts

Father’s is just around the corner and DK Canada has a special boutique from which you can select books for your father or the father of your children.     I selected one title from the Dads Rock Boutique to review – The Smithsonian Universe.  Okay I will admit that this book will be mostly for our homeschool as it present the universe and would be perfect to complement our exploration of the solar system and the rest of the universe.   But if the man in your life loves to learn more about the universe and be transported through it via stunning images and interesting facts, this book is definitively for him.   After all with over 528 pages in a book put together by none other than the Smithsonian, you can expect a fabulous visual guide to space. 

The book contains detailed profiles and amazing visuals which also includes the most recent images from space probes and telescopes, it will guide you in determine the equipment necessary for amateur observation and offer numerous maps that will allow you to explore the night sky as it is seen from all parts of the world and at all times of the year.

I will admit that this book is definitively not creation based but still I think it contains breath taking photos, information that can allow you to discover the planets in the solar system and could be a great addition in your personal library.  I believe strongly that homeschool kids should be presented the evolution information as well as the creation point of view in order to defend their faith when they attend higher schooling institution.   We constantly talk about this when we watch videos and discuss information in our books during our teaching time.   Even when we drive long distance, we discuss various situations with them as they grow up.    Having said that, let’s explore the table of contents together, shall we?

The book has three main sections in it:

Introduction: In the introduction section, you will find three chapters.  In What Is the Universe? you will find information about the scale of the universe, the celestial objects, matter, radiation, gravity, motion, orbits, space and time as well as the expanding space.    Then you will learn more about the beginning and end of the universe.  That’s where you will find information about the Big Bang,  life in the universe, and the fate of the universe.   Finally, the section closes with a chapter on the view from earth and learn more about how earth moves through space and how to become an amateur astronomer.

Guide to the universe: This section will allow you to explore from the comfort of your home the solar system, the milky way, and beyond the milky way i.e. other galaxies.    Each planets of the solar system are individually presented in the solar system chapter.  I am a bit disappointed in the fact that Pluto has been relegated to the pages on the Kuiper belt and Oort cloud.   It does mention that it was classified as a planet for a period of time.  I think it would have been interested that Pluto had its own section where you could read more about the process of declassifying it as a planet.   Maybe in another update in the future.  In the meantime, you could read more about this on the Wiki page of Pluto.

The night sky: I consider this section specifically incorporated for amateur astronomy observers.   Essentially, it will present you the various constellations you can find in the night sky and then provide monthly sky guides that will allow you to find the constellations at any time of the year.

See some of the pages from the book Smithsonian Universe.

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The book is definitively packed with interested information and stunning images from cover to cover.  I think everyone could learn quite a bit about space with this book – even if you don’t believe in evolution.   If you are a Christian and believe in creation, this book will permit you to discover part of the universe that the Creator has put in place for us to discover his works.     Seeing the images taken by the telescopes and the space probes allow me to ponder on Him and realize how creative He was. 

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Your dad doesn’t like to learn things of the universe?  No problem.    DK Canada has numerous titles on sale at 30% off in the Dads Rock Boutique.    You would be able to find title about aircraft, motorcycle, car, birds, sailing,  photography, giutar, woodwork, do it yourself, wine, beer, food, history, bike, exercises,  or television shows or movies.   There are even titles on comic books characters and Lego!    If you purchase directly from DK Canada, their delivery is rapid.

The Smithsonian Universe is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

     

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from DK Canada. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

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