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Dispatches from Planet 3: Thirty-Two (Brief) Tales on the Solar System, the Milky Way, and Beyond
An award-winning science writer presents a captivating collection of cosmological essays for the armchair astronomer
The galaxy, the multiverse, and the history of astronomy are explored in this engaging compilation of cosmological tales by multiple-award-winning science writer Marcia Bartusiak. In thirty-two concise and engrossing essays, the author provides a deeper understanding of the nature of the universe and those who strive to uncover its mysteries.
Bartusiak shares the back stories for many momentous astronomical discoveries, including the contributions of such pioneers as Beatrice Tinsley, with her groundbreaking research in galactic evolution, and Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the scientist who first discovered radio pulsars. An endlessly fascinating collection that you can dip into in any order, these pieces will transport you to ancient Mars, when water flowed freely across its surface; to the collision of two black holes, a cosmological event that released fifty times more energy than was radiating from every star in the universe; and to the beginning of time itself.
The galaxy, the multiverse, and the history of astronomy are explored in this engaging compilation of cosmological tales by multiple-award-winning science writer Marcia Bartusiak. In thirty-two concise and engrossing essays, the author provides a deeper understanding of the nature of the universe and those who strive to uncover its mysteries.
Bartusiak shares the back stories for many momentous astronomical discoveries, including the contributions of such pioneers as Beatrice Tinsley, with her groundbreaking research in galactic evolution, and Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the scientist who first discovered radio pulsars. An endlessly fascinating collection that you can dip into in any order, these pieces will transport you to ancient Mars, when water flowed freely across its surface; to the collision of two black holes, a cosmological event that released fifty times more energy than was radiating from every star in the universe; and to the beginning of time itself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 18, 2018
27 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Marcia Bartusiak
13 books57 followersCombining her skills as a journalist with an advanced degree in physics, Marcia Bartusiak (pronounced MAR-sha Bar-TOO-shack) has been covering the fields of astronomy and physics for three decades. Currently, she is a visiting professor with the Graduate Program in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bartusiak is the author of Thursday's Universe, a layman's guide to the frontiers of astrophysics and cosmology, Through a Universe Darkly, a history of astronomers' centuries-long quest to discover the universe's composition, and Einstein's Unfinished Symphony, about the on-going attempt to detect gravity waves, the last experimental test of Einstein's theory of general relativity. All three were named notable science books by The New York Times. She also co-authored A Positron Named Priscilla, a National Academy of Sciences book on cutting-edge science. Her latest books are Archives of the Universe, a history of the major discoveries in astronomy told through 100 of the original scientific publications, and The Day We Found the Universe.
Graduating in 1971 with a degree in communications from American University in Washington, D.C., Bartusiak first spent four years as a TV reporter and anchorwoman in Norfolk, Virginia. Assignments at the nearby NASA Langley Research Center sparked a love for science news, which encouraged her to enter Old Dominion University for a master's degree in physics. Her research involved the effects of radiation on materials sent into space as parts of orbiting astronomical observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Ultraviolet Explorer.
Starting her science-writing career as an intern at Science News and then as a charter member of Discover's writing staff, she continues to write about astronomy and physics in a variety of national publications. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Science, Popular Science, World Book Encyclopedia, Smithsonian, and Technology Review. For many years a contributing editor at Discover, she is now on the editorial advisory board of Astronomy magazine. She has also reviewed science books for both The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Bartusiak was awarded the distinguished 2006 Andrew W. Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics, a prize given annually by the AIP to recognize "significant contributions to the cultural, artistic, or humanistic dimension of physics," and in 2008 was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1982, she was the first woman to receive the AIP Science Writing Award and won the award again in 2001 for Einstein's Unfinished Symphony. She was also a finalist in NASA's Journalist-in-Space competition. For the 1994-95 academic year, she was a Knight Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Marcia Bartusiak lives with her husband, mathematician Steve Lowe, and their dog Hubble in Sudbury, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.
Graduating in 1971 with a degree in communications from American University in Washington, D.C., Bartusiak first spent four years as a TV reporter and anchorwoman in Norfolk, Virginia. Assignments at the nearby NASA Langley Research Center sparked a love for science news, which encouraged her to enter Old Dominion University for a master's degree in physics. Her research involved the effects of radiation on materials sent into space as parts of orbiting astronomical observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Ultraviolet Explorer.
Starting her science-writing career as an intern at Science News and then as a charter member of Discover's writing staff, she continues to write about astronomy and physics in a variety of national publications. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Science, Popular Science, World Book Encyclopedia, Smithsonian, and Technology Review. For many years a contributing editor at Discover, she is now on the editorial advisory board of Astronomy magazine. She has also reviewed science books for both The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Bartusiak was awarded the distinguished 2006 Andrew W. Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics, a prize given annually by the AIP to recognize "significant contributions to the cultural, artistic, or humanistic dimension of physics," and in 2008 was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1982, she was the first woman to receive the AIP Science Writing Award and won the award again in 2001 for Einstein's Unfinished Symphony. She was also a finalist in NASA's Journalist-in-Space competition. For the 1994-95 academic year, she was a Knight Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Marcia Bartusiak lives with her husband, mathematician Steve Lowe, and their dog Hubble in Sudbury, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 4, 2019
"It's time for earthlings to acknowledge our minor-league status and collectively grasp the magnificent vastness that engulfs us all. While a widespread recognition of Earth's humble station is unlikely to end conflict here, fully comprehending our infinitesimal place in the universe might be a modest step toward diminishing our hubris."
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Oh, I agree with you, Marcia. I like to be reminded of the vastness so that all the trivial sillness is put into perspective!
And this book definitely helps with that!
Science writer and professor at MIT, Bartusiak writes 32 compact and informative essays on astrophysics, scientific history, and space technology. She features many prominent names - the Nobel prize winners, etc - but also the people who never won awards, and may not have received recognition for their outstanding research and contributions in their own lifetimes.
A fascinating science book, made even more accessible with the essay format.
.
Oh, I agree with you, Marcia. I like to be reminded of the vastness so that all the trivial sillness is put into perspective!
And this book definitely helps with that!
Science writer and professor at MIT, Bartusiak writes 32 compact and informative essays on astrophysics, scientific history, and space technology. She features many prominent names - the Nobel prize winners, etc - but also the people who never won awards, and may not have received recognition for their outstanding research and contributions in their own lifetimes.
A fascinating science book, made even more accessible with the essay format.
April 21, 2024
Very science heavy so I don’t recommend this book unless you have a good understanding of science/planetary science. There was a lot of great information and it shed light on the scientists that didn’t get the recognition that they deserved(especially women)!
December 12, 2024
Gah my love for science is neverending and this made my little science teacher heart happy!
So much info about everything from the Big Bang to black holes, Einstein to Hubble.
I also learned a few things that I didn't know before which is also a treat.
So much info about everything from the Big Bang to black holes, Einstein to Hubble.
I also learned a few things that I didn't know before which is also a treat.
September 6, 2018
Quite honestly, this is kind of just an awesome book. I'm both positively biased toward, and hard to please concerning popular science books geared toward astronomy. While I know relatively little about astronomy (sadly), I love it to a startling degree. The stars have always held a distinct fascination for me, and I honestly believe that if my undergraduate university had offered the option, I would have added an Astro major to my program. Alas.
When the opportunity came up to review Marcia Bartusiak's book of short essays about Astronomy, I couldn't have clicked the 'request' button any faster. Not only do I love the stars, I love the opportunity to learn about them from people who do make astronomy and astrophysics the study of their lives. More to the point, the physical scientists that are actually capable of communicating these wonderful ideas and discoveries to social scientists like me are doubly impressive. In the space of thirty-two short essays, Professor Bartusiak manages to transmit a startling amount of information not only about astronomy and astrophysics but about the people and the history of the science. I spent a few very pleasant evenings reading this book and learning about the men and women who have pushed our understanding billions of years through time, that have zeroed in on particles so inconceivably tiny that it boggles the mind to read about them. I read about neutron stars, and quasars, and black holes, and even about time itself and the point at which scientists suspect that it may not have existed, the point at which the rules of physics disintegrate and quantum takes over (I'm referring here to the Big Bang). I learned about Einstein's theories of special and general relativity; I learned about how certain types of stars serve as a cosmological yardstick for measuring distances throughout the vast and growing universe of which we are on insignificant speck.
Professor Bartusiak's writing is concise, it is clear, and it is informative without sounding stuffy or reducing the utterly incredible wonder that is the cosmos to an absolute bore (and trust me there are academics who manage that). I absolutely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the stars, or even in the general history of science and the natural world. There's something in here for everyone, and I'm quite keen on acquiring a few more of this author's books.
When the opportunity came up to review Marcia Bartusiak's book of short essays about Astronomy, I couldn't have clicked the 'request' button any faster. Not only do I love the stars, I love the opportunity to learn about them from people who do make astronomy and astrophysics the study of their lives. More to the point, the physical scientists that are actually capable of communicating these wonderful ideas and discoveries to social scientists like me are doubly impressive. In the space of thirty-two short essays, Professor Bartusiak manages to transmit a startling amount of information not only about astronomy and astrophysics but about the people and the history of the science. I spent a few very pleasant evenings reading this book and learning about the men and women who have pushed our understanding billions of years through time, that have zeroed in on particles so inconceivably tiny that it boggles the mind to read about them. I read about neutron stars, and quasars, and black holes, and even about time itself and the point at which scientists suspect that it may not have existed, the point at which the rules of physics disintegrate and quantum takes over (I'm referring here to the Big Bang). I learned about Einstein's theories of special and general relativity; I learned about how certain types of stars serve as a cosmological yardstick for measuring distances throughout the vast and growing universe of which we are on insignificant speck.
Professor Bartusiak's writing is concise, it is clear, and it is informative without sounding stuffy or reducing the utterly incredible wonder that is the cosmos to an absolute bore (and trust me there are academics who manage that). I absolutely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the stars, or even in the general history of science and the natural world. There's something in here for everyone, and I'm quite keen on acquiring a few more of this author's books.
November 10, 2021
For those of us who have accepted the fact that we will never really understand astrophysics, quantum mechanics, Black Holes, or the Big Bang, Bartusiak has presented us with a wonderful gift. You can call this collection of brief essays superficial, oversimplified, elementary, or any other insulting adjective you want to offer. I don't care. For people like me who are fascinated with science but don't want to invest years or decades of research and reading to understand the finer points of physics, this book is just dandy. I am grateful to be fed bite-size nuggets of interesting stories about the people who made major discoveries about the universe and how their work forms the fabric of our understanding of everything "out there" (and so much of what's here too).
The one thing that I always read in these types of books that really throws me is the concept of time, which is nothing more than a human construct to predict our planet's rotation and orbit around the sun. It's a tool of measurement, just like an inch or a meter doesn't exist unless we employ those measurements in calculating size and shape of matter. They aren't independent -- we create them. And yet, scientists talk about what happened at the very "beginning" of the universe, and they always describe it in terms of a "billionth of a second." Really? Not 1.5 billionths of a second or .00009 billionths of a second? How in the hell do you arrive at that level of accuracy? Time as we describe it is so solar-centric, right? So how is time measured in galaxies millions of light years away from our planet and its sun? Does time exist at all unless we are around to measure it? As the band Chicago asked, does anybody really know what time it is?
Clearly, my little pea brain can't handle most of what is presented in this book, but I still enjoy hearing about concepts, discoveries, explorers, deep thinkers, and the stuff that makes up the cosmos. People like Bartusiak obviously have brains that work differently from mine. Thank goodness.
The one thing that I always read in these types of books that really throws me is the concept of time, which is nothing more than a human construct to predict our planet's rotation and orbit around the sun. It's a tool of measurement, just like an inch or a meter doesn't exist unless we employ those measurements in calculating size and shape of matter. They aren't independent -- we create them. And yet, scientists talk about what happened at the very "beginning" of the universe, and they always describe it in terms of a "billionth of a second." Really? Not 1.5 billionths of a second or .00009 billionths of a second? How in the hell do you arrive at that level of accuracy? Time as we describe it is so solar-centric, right? So how is time measured in galaxies millions of light years away from our planet and its sun? Does time exist at all unless we are around to measure it? As the band Chicago asked, does anybody really know what time it is?
Clearly, my little pea brain can't handle most of what is presented in this book, but I still enjoy hearing about concepts, discoveries, explorers, deep thinkers, and the stuff that makes up the cosmos. People like Bartusiak obviously have brains that work differently from mine. Thank goodness.
February 20, 2025
Everything I want in pop astronomy.
These 32 brief essays leap across light-years and human centuries, giving a portrait of (1) the cosmos in which we live, and (2) the means by which we come to know it.
It's that latter aspect - the portrait of researchers, and the research process - that sets this book apart. What drives discovery? How does evidence build over time? How do our understandings evolve with it? Who gets credit, who doesn't, and why?
Bartusiak takes care to highlight the work of the unsung. (The unsung, it may not surprise you to learn, are a more gender-balanced group than the sung.)
I especially enjoyed the glimpses of old understandings, before we came to know things I take for granted. Galileo's failure to recognize Saturn's rings as rings. The notion of distant galaxies as mere "white nebulae." The first pulsar looking suspiciously like a signal from an alien intelligence...
Compared to other pop astronomy books out there (like Neil de Grasse Tyson's "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry," or Carlo Rovelli's "Seven Brief Lessons in Physics," both of which I very much enjoyed), this is a richer, less systematic, more surprising read.
Well worth the read.
These 32 brief essays leap across light-years and human centuries, giving a portrait of (1) the cosmos in which we live, and (2) the means by which we come to know it.
It's that latter aspect - the portrait of researchers, and the research process - that sets this book apart. What drives discovery? How does evidence build over time? How do our understandings evolve with it? Who gets credit, who doesn't, and why?
Bartusiak takes care to highlight the work of the unsung. (The unsung, it may not surprise you to learn, are a more gender-balanced group than the sung.)
I especially enjoyed the glimpses of old understandings, before we came to know things I take for granted. Galileo's failure to recognize Saturn's rings as rings. The notion of distant galaxies as mere "white nebulae." The first pulsar looking suspiciously like a signal from an alien intelligence...
Compared to other pop astronomy books out there (like Neil de Grasse Tyson's "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry," or Carlo Rovelli's "Seven Brief Lessons in Physics," both of which I very much enjoyed), this is a richer, less systematic, more surprising read.
Well worth the read.
September 15, 2023
A delightfully entertaining collection of short stories on the most fascinating, awe-inspiring facts about the universe. Bartusiak is a very skilled writer and she brought the dry information to life with vivid imagery and wit. The book showcases some of the most amazing and perplexing phenomena about space and time.
October 16, 2020
This is a good book. Bite-sized chunks of the advancement of Astronomy, Cosmology, and Physics. I particularly enjoyed the work the author did to laude those scientists who are unknown but made important contributions, usually they are unknown because they were women, or assistants who delivered an insight, or worked tirelessly to collect data. Sometimes their work was appropriated by a better known or more powerful personality.
Eventually the author takes us to the bleeding fringe of quantum mechanics, and cosmology. This is a very strange and exciting area where theorists toy with the idea that time doesn't exist, but is more of an artifact like temperature or pressure. Einstein was wrong about the comological constant, until he was right again. In hindsight each revelation makes sense to us, Newton's laws, the expansion of the Universe, the big bang, but all the pieces still don't fit and there is most certainly a new insight that will pop into someone's head and turn Physics upside down, again.
Eventually the author takes us to the bleeding fringe of quantum mechanics, and cosmology. This is a very strange and exciting area where theorists toy with the idea that time doesn't exist, but is more of an artifact like temperature or pressure. Einstein was wrong about the comological constant, until he was right again. In hindsight each revelation makes sense to us, Newton's laws, the expansion of the Universe, the big bang, but all the pieces still don't fit and there is most certainly a new insight that will pop into someone's head and turn Physics upside down, again.
September 16, 2018
Another great book by Marcia Bartusiak
I had already read and reviewed “The Day We Found the Universe” by Marcia Bartusiak and I concluded the reviewed by saying that I would like to read more of her books. I was not disappointed in her latest offering, “Dispatches from Planet 3”. The book isn't just a history of astronomy, it's also a story about astronomers, many of whom are unjustifiably lesser known such as Jane Luu, Beatrice Tinsley, and Margaret Burbidge.
It's not so much a book as a collection of essays but it reads seamlessly. Bartusiak writes in a conversational way and engages the reader. She has a good sense of humor and explains the science very clearly.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in science.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
I had already read and reviewed “The Day We Found the Universe” by Marcia Bartusiak and I concluded the reviewed by saying that I would like to read more of her books. I was not disappointed in her latest offering, “Dispatches from Planet 3”. The book isn't just a history of astronomy, it's also a story about astronomers, many of whom are unjustifiably lesser known such as Jane Luu, Beatrice Tinsley, and Margaret Burbidge.
It's not so much a book as a collection of essays but it reads seamlessly. Bartusiak writes in a conversational way and engages the reader. She has a good sense of humor and explains the science very clearly.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in science.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
April 7, 2022
Continuing my current astronomy drive, I found this to be a surprising and uplifting work. This one was an audiobook on the Audible Plus Catalog.
A lot here I had already read or heard in multiple other works, but there was plenty which was a complete surprise. The usual tales of the CMBR or Newton and Einstein are in place, of course.
It was the stories of the women in early 20th century astronomy that really captured my attention, and the recognition that they were unable to receive during their lifetimes for either patriarchal hierarchy reasons or simply because Nobel Prizes are not awarded post-humously.
In particular was the story of Cecelia Payne, the chain smoking, card playing and pun loving astronomer. There were plenty of others, but her story especially struck me as especially poignant.
If you have an interest in this field, this book is worth your time.
Rav.
A lot here I had already read or heard in multiple other works, but there was plenty which was a complete surprise. The usual tales of the CMBR or Newton and Einstein are in place, of course.
It was the stories of the women in early 20th century astronomy that really captured my attention, and the recognition that they were unable to receive during their lifetimes for either patriarchal hierarchy reasons or simply because Nobel Prizes are not awarded post-humously.
In particular was the story of Cecelia Payne, the chain smoking, card playing and pun loving astronomer. There were plenty of others, but her story especially struck me as especially poignant.
If you have an interest in this field, this book is worth your time.
Rav.
September 20, 2022
This was a really great book. Informative, tackling some complex science in easy-to-understand language and told in an engaging manner. Small chapters or essays that can either stand alone or be read in chronological order, each told as a story. It was refreshing in the inclusion and celebration of women who have contributed to the history of astronomy and astrophysics, among some great men, too. This book literally made me feel like my head was in the stars. Books like this that explore, as Sagan would say, “star stuff” in so much eloquent detail almost have a romance and spirituality among them. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.
April 28, 2020
Just what it says: 32 essays about astronomy/cosmology. She’s pretty good at explaining, and she knows her stuff (err, I assume).
The biggest issue I have is that they’re just too short. Each essay is 5–10 pages, and these are complicated issues; they need to be longer to better explain. Still, she touches on a whole lot of physics and a whole lot of scales.
Some of the essays are sort of biographical, about some (possibly) forgotten thinkers/dreamers/researchers. There’s also one or two where she captures the feelings of current researchers working on still sticky problems.
The biggest issue I have is that they’re just too short. Each essay is 5–10 pages, and these are complicated issues; they need to be longer to better explain. Still, she touches on a whole lot of physics and a whole lot of scales.
Some of the essays are sort of biographical, about some (possibly) forgotten thinkers/dreamers/researchers. There’s also one or two where she captures the feelings of current researchers working on still sticky problems.
April 28, 2019
Dispatches From Planet 3 is a good collection of essays on astronomy, though this is probably not one that I should have picked up. As the subtitle says they are indeed brief tales, some of them hardly longer than a page (though a few are much longer). I really prefer something with much more depth (though the final essay on Time certainly has it), but if you want bite-sized essays on astronomy this is the book for you.
March 17, 2023
Not my usual -- almost three dozen short essays about the sky and its inhabitants. Fine prose, good stories, with a sharp eye on how men so frequently blocked scientific progress based on prejudice and power. Tracing chains of discovery, speculation, and curiosity. Many times my head reeled trying to make sense of all that's out there: how big, how many, how powerful. Recommended.
August 18, 2019
I was a bit slow downloading this, and it was unfortunately archived before I got a chance, so I bought a copy to review.
A fascinating collection of essays. Informative and enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for approving my request, and apologies for not downloading.
A fascinating collection of essays. Informative and enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for approving my request, and apologies for not downloading.
February 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It describes people who might have not necessarily received their due in uncovering mysteries about our cosmos. Some of it was a little hard to follow as I don't have a background in physics or astronomy. But the author wrote in a very easy to follow manner.
January 17, 2019
A Science Friday Book Club best of 2018 selection which was a bit over my head. Some was enlightening but the whole theoretical and mathematical basis of current astronomy is just too mind boggling.
May 29, 2019
Very interesting tales of the discoveries about our universe. I liked how I could pick up the book and read one or two then leave the book for a bit. All are independent which made it s fun read.
July 3, 2019
A charming collection of essays on the mysteries of the universe.
October 26, 2019
An important book not just about how our universe works but the many, many women and men who put a lot of work in over the years to gain that knowledge.
Read
December 3, 2020Amazing book to wonder about space.
August 17, 2021
A bit uneven in parts but overall, an interesting and enjoyable collection of essays.
January 24, 2022
3.5 stars. Stories are interesting, but I think many of the chapters were magazine articles and can be redundant. Still, I found it enjoyable.
November 8, 2022
A lot of this stuff I already knew, but someone wanting to learn more might benefit from this. Very straight forward astronomy concepts. I recommend m.
August 11, 2023
I enjoyed this book just as much as her book “Black Hole”!
February 26, 2024
I have enjoyed reading this, and I found this book easy to pick up and put down - none of the chapters were overly long or involved.
February 27, 2024
Excellent!!!!
January 13, 2019
This is an interesting read about various topics associated with the study of astronomy, from the solar system to the origins of the universe. The essays span from covering centuries-old discoveries of the solar system, to modern scientific discoveries that continue to expand our knowledge of the solar system. The essays cover various discoveries and actions...and those discuss some very human issues of sexism, racism, etc, that had significant impacts on the announcements of these discoveries (never knew that it was a woman that discovered pulsar stars or that it was a woman who discovered the make up of stars and the preponderance of hydrogen as the main element in the universe). The narrator does a great job with the work, but I think this might be a kick-ass series of short podcasts. Would add this to any high school supplemental reading list for science classes.
August 30, 2018
A clever and concise overview of some of the major points in the history of astronomy, broken down into easily digestible chunks, perfect for the reader to dip into when they have a few minutes to spare. The topics covered are diverse, ranging from the reclassification of Pluto to the proof that there was once water on Mars, but in each essay the science is clearly laid out and easy to understand, I was particularly surprised to discover the numerous notable contributions from women in the field and liked that the author did her best to shine a light on some almost forgotten names, as well as the more obvious leaders in the subject.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews