A comprehensive guide to astronomy and space travel produced in association with the American Museum of Natural History is arranged by such topics as "Observing the Universe," "Exploring Space," "Planets & Moons," "Stars & Beyond," and "Practical Stargazing." Children's BOMC. 35,000 first printing. The final frontier is conquered in the DK Space Encyclopedia and Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Space CD-ROM , the most beautiful, best organized family information sources yet for our galaxy and beyond. In the section called "Observing the Universe," space buffs will discover detailed diagrams of various telescopes, along with explanations of how they're used to pick up light, radio waves, and other emissions from faraway objects. In "Exploring Space," you'll find out how rockets work to launch satellites, people, and gear into space. If you're curious about what it's like to live in space, check out the information on astronauts' daily routines--did you know one astronaut smuggled a ham sandwich into his capsule after hearing how bad NASA's food was? "Planets and Moons" introduces all the worlds of our solar system, from Mercury out to Neptune and Pluto. Fantastic photos of the planets taken by fly-by probes and the Hubble space telescope show unbelievable details like mountains, craters, and giant canyons. Moving farther away from home, "The Stars" takes you on a tour of our own sun and our stellar neighbors. The life cycle of a star is shown, as well as such strange things as novas, binary stars, rotating variables, and black holes. "Galaxies and Beyond" introduces basic cosmology, the study of the universe, with sections on the Milky Way and other galaxies as well as the latest theories about the size and age of the universe. Finally, readers get tips on how to observe astronomical objects and events, a time line of discoveries, and short biographies of major figures in the field. The DK Space Encyclopedia and Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Space CD-ROM are packed with amazing pictures, diagrams, and facts that no space fan should miss. (Ages 9 and older) --Therese Littleton Grade 6-10-This ambitious resource offers thorough and up-to-date coverage of space sciences. The first two sections examine the technology used to study the universe. The focus then moves to our solar system, then to the stars, and finally to galaxies. A final section covers "Practical Stargazing" and includes basic star maps. Within the subject divisions, topics are explored on two-page spreads. Each one opens with a large print, often conversational overview. Blocks of smaller print text offer specific information and accompany the many full-color photographs, diagrams, and illustrations. Short time lines add historical perspective. Like the numerous charts and tables, they are neatly shaded to make them easily identifiable. The illustrative material provides visual context for some of the more difficult concepts. However, it is not always clear which caption goes with which illustration and in some cases the logical order of reading the information is not apparent. Despite minor flaws, this useful book is sure to be appreciated by students and astronomy enthusiasts. The caption-based text makes it less cohesive than Roy Gallant's engaging National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our Universe (National Geographic, 1995), but the need for currency in the field is crucial. Jacqueline and Simon Mitton's Scholastic Encyclopedia of Space (Scholastic, 1999) is a fine choice for slightly younger readers, but DK Space Encyclopedia is more comprehensive. The appealing layout and wealth of up-to-date visual and textual information make it an excellent addition for most reference collections. Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Produced in association with the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History, this fact-packed compendium was compiled by a team whose expertise is not only in space but in communicating scientific information to children. How do rockets work? What happened in the first three minutes after the universe was born? Why is shaving with an electric razor a bad idea in space? Find the answers to these questions-and many more-in this stellar family reference book. Editors of Explorations A feast for the eyes with vibrant illustrations and photographs and food for the brain with detailed text, charts, biographies, and timelines, this encyclopedia and CD-ROM set provides an interactive and intergalactic journey into space. In addition to explaining the universe clearly and comprehensively, the book emphasizes career opportunities and the ethical, social and environmental issues of space exploration. Most of the content and vocabulary would be difficult for lower age groups to comprehend, but for older children, this set offers a balanced, multidisciplinary approach to space science and astronomy. A 2000 Parents' Choice® Silver Honor win