Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe: The True Science Behind the Starship Voyages

This book reveals the science behind Star Trek's beloved fictions about the universe, inviting readers to gaze up at the night sky and observe where the Starfleet has gone. 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. In this book astronomy educator Andrew Fazekas, "The Night Sky Guy," takes you on that journey, starting with specific Star Trek voyages, explaining the science behind them, and guiding you in observing and learning more about the real-universe corollaries of planets and places in the Star Trek universe. With a foreword from William Shatner and stunningly illustrated with hundreds of full-color images-some artists' interpretations and some real images generated by the most recent NASA missions-plus stills of favorite Star Trek scenes and characters, Star Trek The Official Guide to Our Universe uses Star Trek to teach astronomy, taking every reader on a voyage of discovery. From Altair to Vega, from red giants to white dwarfs, from our solar system to exoplanets we are only beginning to imagine, 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. For Star Trek fans and budding stargazers who are ready to launch their own space mission, this inventive book blends science and fiction, making learning fun and making Star Trek's 50th all the more worthy of celebration.