Planetarium

Planetarium is the latest installment in the Welcome to the Musuem series of books. Previous volumes included such titles as Botanicum, Animalium and Dinosaurium (you can probably guess their respective subject matters), and this astronomy-themed tome is an excellent addition to the collection. The first thing that catches your eye are the beautiful illustrations, they are quite simply stunning and will instantly entice readers of any age into the book. It's rather like being drawn into a magical world with colour, mystery and excitement. The reader's taken on a whistle stop tour of the universe and provided with concise descriptions of the planets within the solar system, as well as comets and meteors, from the Big Bang right through to the fate of our universe.There are also sections on exoplanets and black holes, while professor Raman Prinja briefly discusses the constellations visible from both hemispheres, which would each be worthy of seperate books. Each subject is split into a Gallery, like a museum for the mind's eye, and every illustration is given its own accompanying text, which allows the reader to gain sense of the scale of the topic being described and provides an excellent reference point. Such a broad spectrum of topics is covered that the book cannot delve into detailed science, but there are plenty of snappy and interesting facts on each page that all readers will be able to enjoy and learn from, no matter their level of understanding of the subject. This book is a worthwhile addition to any astronomer's library, ideal for leafing through on a cloudy evening to let the mind wander into the mysteries of our universe. * Sky at Night * Welcome to the Planetarium... home to an incredible collection of astronomical wonders from icy moons to swirling galaxies! Published in association with the Science Museum, Planetarium is the exciting new addition to the Welcome To The Museum series from the Big Picture Press which offers tours in museums that are always open. This fantastic exploration of the universe in all its glory is the follow-on to the hugely successful Historium, a collection of objects from ancient civilisations, Animalium, a detailed exploration of more than 160 animal specimens, Botanicum, a super-sized book of stunning botanical delights, and the dangerously entertaining Dinosaurium. The Welcome To The Museum series enable readers to wander the galleries from the comfort of home and discover a collection of curated exhibits on every page, all accompanied by informative text. Each book is also packed with the finely detailed and incredibly coloured artwork of Chris Wormell, a self-taught artist who uses a digital adaptation of the engraving process to create his stunning images. In this eye-catching new tour, which comes in the form of a large, high-quality book packed with amazing pictures and fascinating facts, we learn about all aspects of space, from the Sun and our Solar System to the lives of stars, the Milky Way and the universe beyond. The informative text is written by Professor of Astrophysics, Raman Prinja, who takes us over the horizon of our blue-green planet and into a space world that has fascinated humans since the dawn of time. So step inside the pages of this spellbinding book and discover everything you ever wanted to know about space, planets and all things galactic. * Lancashire Evening Post * Welcome to The Planetarium! Home to an incredible collection of astronomical objects from small icy moons to huge swirling galaxies. How big is the Universe? How did it begin? What mysteries does it hold? This book is one to keep and read and LOVE! It's a beauty. * Angels and Urchins * Our first Picture Book of the Week this week performs an impossible feat, cramming the entire universe into a book... Good job it's a HUGE book then. Professor Raman Prinja has been our 'go-to' for fantastic space books over the last few years of blogging and now he curates a truly beautiful collection of amazing artefacts on a universal scale. It's Planetarium - Welcome to the Museum With the fantastic colour-and-etch style art of Chris Wormell (whose artwork adorns the billion selling Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, no less) we're taken on a truly stratospheric journey to examine all the amazing wonders on our own home planet, and out in the inky blackness of space. Ever wondered what a Black Hole is? What it does, and the incredible destructive forces that suck in any object unfortunate enough to pass its event horizon? Ever wondered how the first pioneers of space began to explore our galaxy, not with spaceships and rockets but with the humble telescope? Professor Prinja explains things in fantastic detail, but in language us mere earthbound mortals can easily understand. Chris's illustrations add a true touch of class to this collection, as they have in previous Welcome to the Museum titles - which are always a really stunningly presented treat. It's a fantastic book both as a reference for space-going school projects, but also for a thoroughly absorbing read at home too - and we always love the Big Picture Press releases that are designed for sprawling out on the floor with. This book is absolutely perfect for kids and adults who are interested in all aspects of space exploration, a truly brilliant showcase non-fiction book that perfectly demonstrates how to make a subject both exciting and engaging. C's best bit: Learning more about Black Holes (something of a fave space subject with her). Daddy's favourite bit: Breathtakingly brilliant facts about space and our universe, and some truly stunning illustrations make this an absolute must-have of a book. * Read it Daddy * Go on an amazing guided tour of the galaxy with this stunning big-format book, and explore the solar system, the Milky Way and the universe beyond. It's part of the Welcome to the Museum series, and reading it is like being at an exhibition. * The Week Junior *