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Envisioning Exoplanets: Searching for Life in the Galaxy Hardcover – Illustrated, October 13, 2020

by Michael Carroll (Author), Elisa Quintana (Foreword)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 66 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Come along for the captivating hunt for planets like our own

Envisioning Exoplanets traces the journey of astronomers and researchers on their quest to explore the universe for a planet like Earth. Exoplanets--worlds beyond our solar system--were once dismissed as science fiction. But now, with more than 4,000 confirmed exoplanets, countless possibilities exist for what remains to be uncovered in the universe. This book follows the exhilarating progression of exoplanet research from its earliest stages operating on the fringes of scientific research to the newest developments of renowned agencies around the world searching for planets capable of hosting life. Featuring provocative questions about the universe and more than 200 remarkable illustrations from Michael Caroll, Ron Miller, and other key members of the International Association of Astronomical Artists, Envisioning Exoplanets is an intergalactic visual voyage.
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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Smithsonian Books
  4. Publication date
    October 13, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    8.6 x 0.82 x 9.74 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1588346919
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1588346919
  8. See all details
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  1. Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life beyond Our Solar System
  2. Exoplanets (The University of Arizona Space Science Series)
  3. Imagined Life: A Speculative Scientific Journey among the Exoplanets in Search of Intelligent Aliens, Ice Creatures, and Supe
  4. Exoplanets
  5. The Exoplanet Handbook
  6. Habitable Exoplanets: Red Dwarf Systems Like TRAPPIST-1 (OCS)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

BOOKLIST
Starred Review. "The most outstanding feature of this book is its high-quality, full-color pictures that include artistic renderings of scientifically accurate exoplanets. Envisioning Exoplanets coherently weaves together several themes in a coffee-table-style book that is likely to draw in and captivate readers for hours. Recommended for general readers, including those in middle school and high school."

WALL STREET JOURNAL 
"This timely treatment of extrasolar planets features splendid reproductions of paintings whose fusion of fact and imagination immerses the viewer in alien landscapes. Dramatic lighting and panoramic vistas are the norm. The text spells out various methods by which astronomers discover exoplanets, explores the surface conditions of so-called Super-Earths and Hot Jupiters, and poses arguments for and against the existence of lifeforms beyond Earth."

THE SPACE REVIEW
"The real draw of the book, though, is the art. [The illustrations] stir the imagination, showing both how strange the universe is but also, potentially, how familiar some exoplanets may be. And, they let one wonder what else is out there, yet to be discovered."

FORBES
"In the end, the book’s real value is for its unique illustrations. So often the general public is bombarded with facts about the sizes and chemical makeup of these far-flung worlds but with little understanding of how these bodies actually look from ground level. [...] Envisioning Exoplanets offers a convincing artistic preview from this burgeoning field of exoplanetary science." —Bruce Dorminey

LEONARD DAVID'S INSIDE OUTER SPACE
“This captivating, coffee-table-style book is absorbing and chock-full of sidebar features that propel the book to an exceptional echelon contrasted to other books on this topic. If you don’t have a coffee-table, get one to showcase this volume to friends and family! The text is written in a wonderful style, drawing upon Carroll’s own wit and open-ended speculative mind, such as how hard is it to make life?; the search for biosignatures; and life in the extreme."

About the Author

MICHAEL CARROLL is an award-winning space artist and science writer with thirty books in print. A recipient of the AAS Department of Planetary Science's Jonathan Eberhart Award for best planetary science article of the year, Carroll is also a member of the NASA Arts Program and the recipient of the Lucien Rudaux award for lifetime achievement in the astronomical arts.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Smithsonian Books; Illustrated edition (October 13, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1588346919
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1588346919
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.22 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.6 x 0.82 x 9.74 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 66 ratings

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Michael Carroll

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
66 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

P. Sakimoto
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
I don't understand why some are saying that this book is "too academic" or reads like a textbook. It is very readable and if you have any knowledge of astronomy at all it is a fairly basic overview with just enough information to learn. Since it was published in 2020 it has newer information. It is not difficult or boring in the least. As other reviewers have mentioned, the illustrations are gorgeous and the author writes both the text and did the illustrations as well. Among many endeavors, he works as an official illustrator for NASA
6 people found this helpful
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Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing artwork
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
The artwork in Envisioning Exoplanets is incredible; it’s a shame that the reviewers who received ARC copies only saw the images in black and white. This book is educational, interesting, and truly immerses the reader into other worlds. I think this would be of interest to anyone who enjoys learning about what lies beyond our solar system.
5 people found this helpful
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Sommer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2022
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Great book. Has kept my son quite interested.
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BurazeKun
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative book about exoplanets.
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2020
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
This is a good book, and while I have not finished it yet, I can say that it is well written and much better than I expected. I expected a dry read that may or may not have been for just before bed. I find myself picking it up between my audio books now, the last audio book I finished was Physics of the Impossible. This book is has detailed information, and pairs with picture sources. This helps give a imagination a kick start in what you see when you read it. Admit-ably, mine is a "Black and White Proof Only" copy, so I am not going to detail anything on the picture quality as I expect it to be something higher res and possibly colored in comparison to the copy I received. The book reads almost like a series of magazine articles, that happen to be more accurate than what I would find typically in a magazine, but it also allows down time before the next one starts. I often have little time to sit to a book, so this has been a awesome book to enjoy a leisure minute to. (As a side note, this is why I listen to audio books on these subjects much of my time, as I take care of my kids full time.) I look forward to my continued reading in this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Kyle B.
4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult To Judge Given Black & White Version
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2022
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
The information is good, and the images look like they could be stunning, but since the copy I was given is black & white, I cannot fully judge the book. If you'd like to learn more about exoplanets and have the full color version, I am fairly certain this is a great book for you since the black and white version is good.
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It's Just Me
5.0 out of 5 stars Excels in more than just pictures
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
This book integrates the history of how scientists searched for and discovered exoplanets with teaching the reader about the science behind the searches and discoveries. Unlike some books that cover the history of astronomy, this one doesn’t get bogged down in biographies of the astronomers. The quality of writing and the level of detail are perfect for the interested non-astronomer. It’s not just a brief overview, as is sometimes offered in books with so many pictures, but it’s not written in the sometime dry manner of a textbook, either. I would say the level of information is typical of that which I found in Astronomy magazine, when I subscribed to that.

But that’s JustMe. (I received this product in exchange for an honest review, and that is what I have offered here.)
6 people found this helpful
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Darwin's Bulldog
5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable and current ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2021
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
The discovery of planets around other stars, and the possibility of life on them, may be the next revolution in both science and philosophy. Planets suitable for life as we know it are not uncommon. The possibility of other life chemistries cannot be excluded; biologists are no longer surprised by the ability of 'extremophiles' on Earth to exploit environments once thought to be impossible. The nature of this chemistry is unknown, and how to identify this chemistry from earth observation equally obscure.

This volume covers it all as far as exoplanets are concerned and highly recommended for being both comprehensive and current. I did find the layout of text, images and sidebars sometimes made reading a bit of a puzzle. I would note that most if not all illustrations are (of course!) artists interpretations and not to be taken as accurate. There seems to have been an effort to make these more prominent on the page, so the text tends to be threaded around them in surprising ways. A bit of a distraction that does not diminish the quality of the material.
3 people found this helpful
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Hairy Potter
4.0 out of 5 stars Not Exactly The Book I Envisioned, But Very Nice Nonetheless
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2020
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book, in paperback format with black and white images. Therefore, I cannot offer any review of this book's aesthetics.

The images in the book are plentiful and do lead me to believe that it will be a stunning book to flip through in its completed state.

The content of the book is presented a bit differently than most of the Smithsonian books that I own. I love Smithsonian books because of their "coffee table" format. They are designed such that the reader can either choose to read the book cover-to-cover, or open to any random page and learn a little bit about a specific subtopic. This book is different in that it really needs to be read cover-to-cover in order for an exoplanet novice to fully understand the content. It strikes me as more of a beautiful textbook than a coffee-table book. This may have very well been the intent of the author. It just wasn't what I expected.

The content is thorough and well-presented. This is a great reference book for anybody seeking to learn more about this topic.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Darren Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Rather than just obscure names, this book vividly brings to life the myriad of recently discovered exoplanets.

For anyone interested in this subject, this book is a must have.
One person found this helpful
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