Best astronomy and AstroPhysics Books.

The universe through the eyes of an astronomer or astrophysicist is a fascinating place — and a good book can give you a glimpse of that world without requiring years of study. Here are some recommendations of astronomy and astrophysics books that will thrill, puzzle, intrigue and blow your mind.

What We're Reading:

'The Planet Factory' (Bloomsbury Sigma, 2017)

By Elizabeth Tasker

In her new book "The Planet Factory: Exoplanets and the Search for a Second Earth," astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker explores what scientists currently know about the mysterious distant planets beyond the solar system. The refreshing tone of her narrative takes readers on a journey through old techniques for spotting exoplanets (some of which were quite dangerous), the oblong orbits of some alien planets, and why the "habitable zone" of a planet does little to support life if too much water drowns out it's rock cycles. The style is good for beginners, and the chapters are full of humorous explanations to grasp this important field of modern astronomy. ~Doris Salazar

'See It with a Small Telescope' (Ulysses, 2017)

By Will Kalif

"See It with a Small Telescope" is a fun read for those just getting familiar with their new telescope. Will Kalif, who runs the website Telescope Nerd, guides readers to dozens of interesting objects in the sky. Whether you enjoy looking at planets, star clusters, the moon, nebulas or something else, there are a range of fun things to seek out using this book.

The night sky is a very big place to explore, but Kalif narrows it down to what a beginning telescopic observer will enjoy. His star charts are handy guides to help you find your way. He even includes a section on astrophotography if you're interested in taking pictures, including options with unspecialized equipment. Since the text of the book is written at a junior high level, your teenage kids likely will enjoy the book as well. ~Elizabeth Howell

'100 Things to See in the Night Sky' (Adams

Media, 2017)

By Dean Regas

Whether you're an amateur astronomer, casual stargazer or anything in between, "100 Things to See in the Night Sky" is your one-stop shop for information on where, when and how to spot some of the brightest and most easily recognizable sights in the sky. Written by Dean Regas, an astronomer and public outreach educator at the Cincinnati Observatory in Ohio, the book breaks down everything you need to know to stargaze like a pro.

Beginners can use this book as an introduction to stargazing, while more experienced readers will find the book to be a useful field guide that can serve as a reference for locating and identifying stars, constellations, meteor showers, eclipses and even satellites. The book focuses on "naked-eye" objects, so you don't need telescopes, binoculars or any other equipment to utilize this handy skywatching guide. ~Hanneke Weitering

'The Zoomable Universe' (Scientific

American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017)

By Caleb Scharf, illustrated by Ron Miller and 5W Infographics

"The Zoomable Universe" (2017) by Caleb Scharf, illustrations by Ron Miller and 5W Infographics
Credit: Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux

In "The Zoomable Universe," astrophysicst Caleb Scharf takes readers from the size of the observable universe step-by-step down to the shortest theoretical measurable length. Along the way, Scharf and the book's illustrator, Ron Miller, explore the formation of the universe, our galaxy and Earth, the makeup of life and quantum physics, and the complexity that develops when you look beyond the surface at any scale.

The large, colorful book has a lot of ground to cover, but it delves into enough detail to spark readers' curiosity, and additional graphics by 5W Infographics pack more information into less space. As it speeds through orders of magnitude, from the largest to the smallest, it stops in lots of fascinating corners of the universe along the way. ~Sarah Lewin

'Making Contact' (Pegasus Books, 2017)

By Sarah Scoles

Fifty years ago, only a handful of scientists were hunting for signals from other civilizations as part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). In "Making Contact," science writer Sarah Scoles explores the biography of one of the most influential SETI scientists, Jill Tarter. Scoles follows a mostly linear path through Tarter’s life, occasionally breaking into the present to bridge connections. While the biography traces the history of SETI, its primary focus is on Tarter: her childhood relationships with her parents that helped drive her, her education as the sole woman in her engineering class in the 1960s, and her struggle with scientists and bureaucrats who didn’t think hunting for alien signals was worth the time, money or resources. But Tarter continued to fight, helping to found a private agency that would survive government changes, hunting for private donors to look beyond this world and helping move the search for intelligent life from the fringes into mainstream science. ~Nola Taylor Redd

'Planet Hunters' (Reaktion Books, 2017)

By Lucas Ellerbroek, translated by Andy Brown

"Planet Hunters: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life" by Lucas Ellerbroek
Credit: Reaktion Books

"Planet Hunters" takes readers through the history of the search for worlds around other suns — from heretical belief to science fiction flight of fancy to one of the fastest-growing fields of astronomical research. Author Lucas Ellerbroek highlights the passion of exoplanet researchers as they learn about the countless planets circling other stars.

"I really want to bring across the message that science is something not to be read purely in an encyclopedia, because encyclopedias change, and science is a dynamic enterprise done by humans," Ellerbroek says of the book. ~Sarah Lewin

'Sun Moon Earth' (Basic Books, 2016)

By Tyler Nordgren

Throughout history, solar eclipses have transformed from terrifying omens to the subject of scientific study. In "Sun Moon Earth: The History of Solar Eclipses from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets," astronomer-artist Tyler Nordgren traces the natural history of eclipses and how they have inspired eclipse chasers to travel the world and witness the natural phenomenon.

Nordgren's narrative also details how observations of total solar eclipses have contributed to scientific discoveries about the sun, moon and Earth's place in the universe throughout history. ~ Samantha Mathewson

'Exoplanets' (Smithsonian Books, 2017)

By Michael Summers and James Trefil

"Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System" (Smithsonian Books, 2017) by Michael Summers and James Trefil
Credit: Ron Miller/Jody Billert

The search for planets beyond Earth's solar system has revealed countless surprises, including the existence of strange and unexpected worlds that astronomers would have never imagined existed only a few decades ago. A new book titled "Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System" (Smithsonian Books, 2017) explores the history of exoplanet research, illustrates the many different types of planets that have been discovered to date and discusses how astronomers plan to further study these newfound alien worlds. ~Samantha Mathewson

'Asteroid Hunters' (Simon & Schuster, 2017)

By Carrie Nugent

The solar system is a wild place, and even Earth's immediate neighborhood is much more chaotic than maps would suggest — researchers discover more than 100 near-Earth asteroids every month. A new book by Carrie Nugent, an asteroid researcher from Caltech, goes through how we find asteroids and near-Earth objects and what we would do if one was heading toward us. "Asteriod Hunters" (Simon & Schuster, 2017) is a quick overview of the growing field, giving a feel for how science is done and where we'll have to pick up speed to protect Earth — plus, a visceral understanding of exactly how much risk is out there. ~Sarah Lewin

'Earth in Human Hands' (Grand Central

Publishing, 2016)

By David Grinspoon

Over the past century, humankind's influence over our environment has increased dramatically. Astrobiologist and planetary scientist David Grinspoon argues that our species is arriving at a point that lifeforms across the galaxy may face — become self-sustaining or perish. In "Earth in Human Hands," Grinspoon explores the ways that, for good or bad, humans have seized control of the planet. The choice is whether we do so mindlessly, or whether we act in a responsible, considerate manner. Such a dilemma may be common to all life, and the most successful, long-lasting civilizations in the galaxy may live on planets they have engineered to be stable over extensive periods of time, making them more difficult to identify than rapidly-expanding societies. ~Nola Redd

NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the

Universe (Firefly Books, 2016)

by Terence Dickinson

"NightWatch" is the perfect introduction to astronomy and stargazing. It has been the top-selling stargazing guide for over 20 years. Now in its revised fourth edition, the book contains everything you need to know about what's up in the sky through the year 2025. The bookre chapter is dedicated to stargazing technology, like binoculars and telescopes. "NightWatch" assumes that the reader has no prior experience with astronomy. It is clear and concise enough for any beginner to understand, but is pac is filled with star charts, tables with information about stargazing events and incredible photos of space. An entiked with information that even the most experienced stargazers will find comes in handy. ~Hanneke Weitering

'The Glass Universe' (Viking, 2016)

By Dava Sobel

"The Glass Universe" follows the women of the Harvard College Observatory and their groundbreaking measurements of the stars.
Credit: Viking

"The Glass Universe" highlights the remarkable story of how a group of women, called "computers," shaped the field of astronomy during the mid-19th century — when women were not typically employed outside the home. At that time, astronomers relied on grounded telescopes to record nightly observations of the stars. Women computers at the Harvard College Ovesrvatory were then tasked with interpreting those observations, captured on photographic glass plates. Author Dava Sobel follows the stories of several women, which she collected from old diaries, letters and published observatory log books. Based on their calculations, these women — including Williamina Fleming, Antonia Maury, Henrietta Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon and Cecilia Payne — made some of the most fundamental discoveries of our universe. ~Samantha Mathewson

Read a Q&A with Sobel about the book .

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