Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Cosmic Horizons: Astronomy at the Cutting Edge

Rate this book
Leading experts explain the discoveries of modern astrophysics in an illustrated companion to the American Museum of Natural History's newly renovated Rose Center for Earth and Space. Cosmic Horizons illuminates the most recent discoveries of modern astrophysics with essays by leading astronomers, including NASA scientists. The book also features profiles of astronomers such as Carl Sagan and Georges Lemaître (father of the Big Bang theory), case studies that cover the controversial evidence for the possibility of life on Mars, and stunning four-color photographs throughout. Written for the general reader, Cosmic Horizons makes the complex, abstract areas of astronomy and astrophysics—from the Big Bang to black holes—accessible and comprehensible to the public. Complementing the museum's acclaimed new Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center exhibition, the book investigates how the universe expands to produce galaxies, stars, and planets, and, perhaps, life on other worlds. It also examines some of the emerging technologies that make these discoveries possible. With more than eighty full-color images and a resource section that includes a bibliography and an extensive glossary, Cosmic Horizons offers a new appreciation of the complexities of time and space and a greater understanding of our fragile planet and the universe beyond. Four-color illustrations throughout.

The New Press is pleased to announce the publication of this new title with the American Museum of Natural History, a collaboration that began with the publication of Epidemic! in 2000.

Founded in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History in New YorkCity is one of the world's preeminent institutions for scientific research and education, visited by more than four million people annually. Three new titles, Earth, The Biodiversity Crisis, and Cosmic Horizons, are companion volumes to three major new permanent exhibitions at the museum: the David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth, the Hall of Biodiversity, and the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space.

Author Biography: Steven Soter is a member of the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. He was a cowriter, with Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, of the Cosmos television series, and co-author with Ann Druyan of the new Hayden Planetarium's inaugural sky show. Neil de Grasse Tyson is director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium. He has authored five books on the universe, including The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist. He is also a monthly columnist for Natural History magazine and was the project scientist for the Hall of the Universe in the Rose Center for Earth and Space.

253 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

2 people are currently reading
378 people want to read

About the author

Steven Soter

2 books1 follower

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
16 (39%)
4 stars
17 (41%)
3 stars
6 (14%)
2 stars
1 (2%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for P.S. Winn.
Author 104 books365 followers
September 3, 2017
There is so much information in this book,if you are fascinated by astrophysics and the people that contributed to what we know about the world, the galaxy, and beyond you have to pick this up. Love the profiles on the amazing people who know so much more than I do.
Profile Image for Steven Pautz.
123 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2015
3.5 stars, rounded up for being put together well (and for all the pretty pictures, too).

This is a collection of short essays by about two dozen different authors, loosely grouped into general topics. Despite being nearly 15 years old, many of the topics and essays still stand up okay today (this was one of the book's stated goals). Even the places where new discoveries and developments have changed things are interesting for their historical perspective, in my opinion -- such as the discussion of 'future' Mars missions and space telescope projects, and refinements in what we know about Kuiper objects.

I originally found this book because of Neil deGrasse Tyson's name, but it's unclear whether he wrote anything beyond the preface -- but that doesn't matter because the various authors are generally quite good: the essays themselves are (mostly) clear and well-written. There are a few awkward parts, and several places where the writing jumps awkwardly between "pretend the reader has no idea what astronomy is" and "assume they've already read this specific author's book", but on the whole it's written to be understandable to anybody with an interest in astronomy (and especially sort-of-recent topics and discoveries) and I think it hits that goal well.
Profile Image for Brian Stuhr.
41 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2014
A great book containing tons of info without getting too technical/mathematical. Finished it while waiting for tonight's debut of Cosmos!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.