Product Details
Paperback
240 pages
National Geographic
Published 2003
Amazon.com
This awe-inspiring collection of photographs gives those of us stuck on Earth a glimpse of what our home planet looks like from the window of a space craft... and the big blue marble has never looked more beautiful. All the continents are shown, as well as weather events, the Aurora borealis, and the visible effects of anthropogenic environmental change--deforestation and desertification chief among them. Take a sobering look at our lovely planet and realize how small and fragile it really is. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA. At first glance, Orbit might appear to be another glitzy coffee-table book with the rambling narrative so typical of National Geographic publications. Certainly astronaut Jay Apt has assembled what the authors describe as "the most important and beautiful photographs taken since humans first left Earth." Entertaining as the spectacular shots of our home planet are, however, the accompanying captions and chapter narratives give the full-page photographs an added immediacy that could only... read more --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
On his historic 1962 orbital flight, John Glenn made a request to carry a camera. From that moment forward photography became a vital duty for all astronauts. In this astonishing book, National Geographic gathers the most spectacular images from 41 years of orbital photography-many never before seen-to reveal an astronaut's view of home.
Each photograph featured in Orbit was taken by a NASA astronaut with a hand-held camera and features detail that far exceeds the electronic images sent from satellites. These photographs capture the most magnificent sights on earth: Mount Everest casting its shadow over lesser peaks, the sands of the Sahara arrayed in endless patterns, the eerily atmospheric aurora australis. And they document the effects of human negligence on the Earth: pollution, scarred forests, and topsoil washing into the sea. As Americans contemplate the U.S. space program in the wake of recent tragedy, Orbit is an excellent reminder of the magnificent achievements of space travel.
Detailed maps, ground-based photographs, and informative captions give further depth to this definitive and remarkable history of how our Earth has changed since we first ventured into space. |
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