The Orion Nebula is the closest center of massive star formation—a stellar nursery that reproduces the conditions in which our own Sun formed some 4.5 billion years ago. In this book, O’Dell explains what the Nebula is, how it shines, its role in giving birth to stars, and the insights it affords into how common (or rare) planet formation might be.

Have fun exploring the stars with close-up views of space objects right from your own backyard! Take the mystery and struggle out of discovering new worlds. With hands-on tips, tricks, and instructions, this book allows you to unleash the full power of your small telescope and view amazing space objects right from your own backyard, including: • Saturn’s Rings • Jupiter’s Moons • Apollo 11's Landing Site • Orion Nebula • Andromeda Galaxy • Polaris Double Star • Pegasus Globular Cluster • and much, much more! “An observation guide, mentor, and historical tour all in one.” —Space.com

The Alidonian System of Worlds is in turmoil. Princess Arianne Alidan runs away from her cousin, Prince Narbonne-the leader of a rebellion trying to dethrone her father-setting course for a hidden base located beyond a nebula in an unexplored region of the galaxy. But her fleet gets thrown out of course by a cosmic event. When the fleet comes out of hyperspace, badly battered, they take refuge in an unknown solar system, with a habitable planet, The Waterworld. There, the illness of her sister, Princess Amelie Alidan forces them to set up a base. When Amelie meets Gus Schneider, a former air force pilot, and falls in love with him, Princess Arianne devices a scheme to fortify the remnants of her fleet, hoping for a rendezvous with her people, and confront Prince Narbonne in a final and decisive battle.

Presented in London and New York. ...tightly written, pungent with human interest, laced through with risible bits... --Variety. ...a triumphant union of farce and near tragedy. --London Observer.

Twenty years after Isaac Asimov praised Timothy Ferris's GALAXIES as the most beautiful book ever published, MAGNIFICENT UNIVERSE establishes a new standard of excellence in depicting space. No other book even comes close. Ken Croswell takes us across the known universe - from the planets of the Sun to the stars of the Galaxy to the galaxies of the Cosmos. This is, simply, the most beautiful astronomy book in existance. The exploration of space by telescope and space probe continues at an exhilarating pace. While many think that only the Hubble telescope has new photographs of the heavens to offer, MAGNIFICENT UNIVERSE draws not only on Hubble but on fifty different sources. With the latest, stunning astronomical vistas, this lavish book allows us to experience the universe as never before.