The Turtle and the Stars: Observations of an Earthbound Astronomer

An enchanting look at the heavens that unlocks the sky's mysteries and celebrates the beauty of the universe.

No matter where we travel on Earth, the sky is the one great constant, bearing extraordinary colors and images in every kind of weather. Modern astronomy has revealed many secrets of the sky, and now the most intriguing ones have been distilled for a popular audience. With illustrations and engaging text, The Turtle and the Stars brings stargazers face-to-face with facts and lore. Topics include: What color is the atmosphere of Mars, and might it someday appear as blue as ours? How does the Milky Way cast shadows? Why is it that we never see the sunset as it's actually occurring? Earthly questions range from why the Taj Mahal glimmers when you gaze up at it to why the top of the Empire State Building travels farther than its lower floors each day. With contagious enthusiasm, Arthur Upgren also invites us to contemplate the natural beauty of the universe through recollecting scenes such as a leatherback turtle depositing her eggs under a sky lit only by Venus, or witnessing a total solar eclipse in Venezuela. A treasure trove of facts sprinkled with references to history, literature, film, and music, this is the ultimate tour for armchair astronomers and naturalists alike.

Arthur Upgren, Ph.D., is senior research scientist in the astronomy department at Yale and the John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He is also the author of Weather: How It Works and Why It Matters and Night Has a Thousand Eyes.