THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE
True Science behind the Starship Voyages
Foreword by William Shatner
When Star Trek fans hear the infamous opening line “Space: the final frontier,” it usually brings to mind favorite episodes from the classic show and intergalactic worlds visited by the crew of U.S.S. Enterprise during their five-year mission. But many of the galactic destinations featured in Star Trek over the years – multiple star systems, alien worlds, supernova explosions, emission nebulae, voracious black holes – are scientifically valid, so much so that one can step out and view them in the night sky. Space fans can boldly go where no one has gone before with STAR TREK: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE: True Science behind the Starship Voyages by astronomy guru and educator Andrew “The Night Sky Guy” Fazekas with a foreword by Captain Kirk, himself, William Shatner (National Geographic Books; On-Sale Date: June 6, 2016; ISBN: 9781426216527; Hardcover; $24.95).
As Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary in September, this big, beautiful beginner’s guide to the cosmos – planets, starts, galaxies and beyond – reveals the real science behind its fantastic and beloved fictions, inviting readers to step outside, gaze up at the night sky, and observe some of the destinations the Starfleet has visited. Fazekas takes Star Trek fans and astronomers alike on an incredible journey into space, starting with specific Star Trek voyages, explaining the science behind them, and guiding them in observing and learning more about the real-universe corollaries of planets and places in the Star Trek universe. Stunningly illustrated with more than 400 full-color images – some artists’ interpretations and some real images generated by the most recent NASA missions – plus 50 maps alongside stills of beloved Star Trek scenes and characters, STAR TREK: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE is sure to open readers’ eyes to the fascinating world of astronomy while giving them a treasured bit of Star Trek memorabilia.
Every chapter is a voyage of discovery. From Altair to Vega, from red giants to white dwarfs, from solar system exoplanets only beginning to be imagined, the book visits dozens of celestial objects, spotlighting some 20 in careful scientific detail and offering easy-to-follow star-gazing instructions to find them in the night sky. No warp-driven starship, not even a telescope is required to go on these voyages: Most destinations are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. This inventive book blends science and fiction, making learning fun and making Star Trek’s 50th all the more worthy of celebration.
STAR TREK: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE is under license by CBS Consumer Products.
About the Author
Andrew Fazekas, aka The Night Sky Guy, is a science writer, broadcaster, and lecturer who shares his passion for the wonders of the universe through all media. He is a columnist for National Geographic where he authors the popular online weekly StarStruck column, and is also a syndicated space news contributor on radio and TV networks, and is an active member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada who has over 30 years of skywatching experience .
About National Geographic Books
National Geographic Books & Home Entertainment creates and distributes books, videos and other print and digital media that inform, engage and entertain diverse audiences about our world. Annually, the group publishes more than 150 new books for adults, families and kids and releases 250+ new DVDs and digital downloads of the Society’s films and TV shows, and these National Geographic titles are available in more than 35 local-language editions. While special photographic and film collections, travel books, nature shows, birding guides and atlases are a core focus of the Society’s products, books and videos dealing with subjects as diverse as animals, the human mind, history, world cultures and the cosmos are also produced. For more information, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.