Product Description

Collects many of the most visually significant photographs taken during the first forty-one years of orbital space travel, in a volume that reflects the achievements of the space program, the natural wonders of the planet, and the consequences of pollution. Reprint.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100337 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Customer Reviews

High flyers!
Shuttle astronaut Jay Apt, together with scientists Michael Helfert and Justin Wilkinson, has put together a wonderful book of photographs under the auspices of National Geographic, Orbit. These are all photographs taken by astronauts from the space shuttle while in orbit (with a few exceptions, historically significant photographs from moon circlings and early trips into space). Photography, interestingly enough, is never really scheduled as a shuttle activity, but rather done 'in between' the other assignments. The photographs included in this book do not come from special 'space' cameras, but rather from regular hand-held, off-the-shelf cameras that astronauts took with them.

The shuttle offers a unique platform for photography, to say the least. It has 11 different windows, and as the shuttle orbits in what one might consider an upside-down position, the windows and cargo-bay with doors open are almost always facing the earth. Astronauts take lots of film with them, and record many phenomena. This book is divided geographically, by earth region: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, Middle and South America, and North America. There is also a special section on the Aurora, with dazzling photographs of things that look right out of Star Trek!

The images include daytime and nighttime views, calm views and stormy views. One can see hurricanes and cyclones from high above, stretching their entire lengths across great portions of the globe. One can see the difference lighting makes in an urban area at night, the way terrain and human-engineering connect, and how much of the world seems to remain unspoilt when viewed from a distance of even a few hundred miles away.

This is a remarkable book, full of glorious photographs of the 'home world', a great coffee-table book, a great gift, and a great guide of inspiration for younger readers who might be interested in science, geography, or even becoming an astronaut.

Lavishly Produced coffee table book
Obviously a work of love although, to be honest, some of the pictures do get a bit "samey" after a while. There are some stunning shots here though and the background information is fascinating (if typically over-the-top in grand "God bless America" style). Those familiar with the Europe vs US clashes over US pollution emissions a year or so ago or the US car industry will laugh at loud at such gems as "The United States has the best environmental record in the world". Well worth the money, despite the naivity of some of the words.

Beautiful and sobering images of the changing planet
Don't mistake "Orbit", by Apt, et al. for a casual, coffee table sort of book. The high resolution images of the earth, taken primarily by space shuttle crew members, are visually arresting. The massive impact of deforestation and the resulting soil erosion is particularly sobering. In vignettes such as the shrinking Aral Sea, this book conveys a visual truth which goes beyond the idealization and abstraction of maps to the current reality of the planet's surface. This is a beautiful and profound book.