To British television viewers, the name ‘Patrick Moore’ has been synonymous with Astronomy and Space Travel since he first appeared on The Sky at Night in 1957. To amateur astronomers he has been a source of inspiration, joy, humour and even an eccentric role model since that time. Most people know that his 55 years of presenting The Sky at Night is a world record, but what was he really like in person? What did he do away from the TV cameras, in his observatory, and within the British Astronomical Association, the organisation that inspired him as a youngster? Also, precisely what did he do during the War Years, a subject that has always been shrouded in mystery? Martin Mobberley, a friend of Patrick Moore’s for 30 years, and a former President of the British Astronomical Association, has spent ten years exhaustively researching Patrick’s real life away from the TV cameras. His childhood, RAF service, tireless voluntary work for astronomy and charity and his endless book writing are all examined in detail. His astronomical observations are also examined in unprecedented detail, along with the battles he fought along the way and his hatred of bureaucracy and political correctness. No fan of Sir Patrick Moore can possibly live without this work on their bookshelf!

Is this a book that you would read from cover to cover? The simple answer is no! It is a book that the reader would dip into every now and again to get the flavour of one of Sir Patrick's works. There is an appraisal of each of Sir Patrick's works contained within it. This book constitutes the first of two, or perhaps three volumes of appraisals of Sir Patrick's books. Why have I found it necessary to spread out his works across two or three volumes? For two reasons basically: firstly, Sir Patrick wrote around 200 books throughout his long life; secondly is the issue of book availability; all of Sir Patrick's books are now out of print, and, the earlier ones mostly, are only sporadically available from antiquarian booksellers. It is a great honour for me to have this first volume ready for publication for the centenary year of Sir Patrick's birth in 2023.

Journey to the farthest corners of the universe in this visually stunning coffee-table atlas by the former chief historian of NASA 300 maps and illustrations tell the incredible story of the past, present, and future of the universe and space exploration Navigate the Solar System, the Milky Way, and beyond with 300 magnificent charts, illustrations, and photographs. This large-format atlas makes the immense universe feel more intimate, with striking full-page spreads and engaging text. Former chief historian of NASA Roger D. Launius offers important perspective on the trajectory of space exploration and its achievements, covering topics like ancient ideas of the cosmos; the evolution of galaxies; the search for extraterrestrial intelligence; investigating the inner and outer solar system; and human migration to the Moon and to Mars. The book includes: Full-page and full-spread historical, scientific, cosmology, and specially commissioned maps. Amazing photos from NASA's archives and stunning new artwork Biographical sidebars highlighting important people involved in the search for knowledge about the universe, from Galileo to Nancy Grace Roman to Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. With the growing market for space tourism, space exploration verges on a new era, and this book looks toward the future to include conceptions of futuristic space activities. The marvelous collection of maps provide visual reference to better understand science and humanity's place in the universe. Absorbing and exquisitely detailed, Smithsonian Atlas of Space is a showstopping journey through the cosmos.