Mark A. Garlick

Here's the story of everything, from the Big Bang to the far-off future 100 million years at a time, told in words and pictures. With illuminating text and imaginative illustrations, this exquisite volume portrays every phase of our cosmic history. Witness the unfolding history of the universe as you turn each page of The Grand Cosmic Story, a brilliant and beautiful volume sure to fascinate anyone interested in astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. In this large-format, full-color book, every two-page spread represents 100 million years in the universe’s 13.8-billion-year-long story—and beyond. Custom illustrations created by two legendary space artists accompany detailed, accessible descriptions of the evolving cosmos as atoms, stars, galaxies, black holes, planets, life itself emerge. Fungi, flowers, dinosaurs, apes, humans appear on Earth, paralleled by changes in the vast realms of space surrounding—all narrated and visualized, step by step. The book's last few pages even picture a future beyond the present day, ending in void and randomness—a dramatic finish to an amazing journey combining science and imagination. A prestigious creative team—astrophysicist Ethan Siegel, space artist Jon Lomberg, graphic designer William Lidwell, and science illustrator Mark Garlick—evoke the vastness of time and space, creating a uniquely comprehensive, evocative, and accessible history of everything in the cosmos.

The bodies of our solar system have orbited continuously around the Sun since their formation, but they have not always been there, and conditions have not always been as they are today. The Story of the Solar System explains how our solar system came into existence, how it has evolved and how it might end billions of years from now. After a brief historical introduction, the book illustrates the birth of the Sun, and then explains the steps that built up the bodies of the Solar System. Using vivid illustrations, the planets, moons, asteroids and comets are described in detail. Comparison of these objects, and analysis of how they have changed and evolved since birth, is followed by a look towards the end of the solar system's existence. Fully illustrated with beautiful, astronomically accurate paintings, this book will fascinate anyone with an interest in our solar system.