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"Merlin's
Tour"
Wonders
of the universe
"Merlin’s
Tour Of The Universe: A Skywatcher’s Guide To Everything From
Mars And Quasars To Comets, Planets, Blue Moons, And
Werewolves." Neil de Grasse Tyson, Main Street
Books/Doubleday, 1997, 299 pages.
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"If
the sun makes rainbows, then does the moon make moonbows?"
This and other questions are answered in a fascinating new book by
Dr. Neil de Grasse Tyson on the wonders of the universe. Despite
the public’s interest in our natural world, science books can
sometimes be difficult reading for the layperson. "Merlin’s
Tour" is a wonderful departure from this difficulty.
Dr.
Tyson has used a fictitious character to present the scientific
information in a delightfully entertaining way. The book is
centered on an imaginary traveler from the Andromeda galaxy named
Merlin. He is the five billion-year-old writer of the monthly
column "Star Date." In this Q & A column Merlin
answers questions from the general public based on his
conversations with some of the greatest scientists in Earth’s
history. The result is an enlightening look at the universe and
the natural phenomena it contains. Traveling through the universe,
Merlin investigates and explains the Earth and the other
astronomical oddities of time and space. During his journey Merlin
travels beyond the Earth past the moon, planets, stars, asteroids,
comets and the sun. In each of these chapters Merlin answers
specific questions pertaining to that phenomena.
In
the chapter entitled "Planets," Merlin answers a
question from a woman in Fort Wayne, Ind., regarding the
possibility that Saturn could float on water. Despite the fact
that Saturn is many times the size of Earth, Merlin explains that
because of its lower density (compared to Earth), Saturn would
indeed be able to float on water. In "Galaxies Galore" a
man from Chicago asks if the visible light from the galaxy
Andromeda is the light is emits now or in the past. Merlin’s
reply: "You see Andromeda not as it is and where it is, but
as it was and where it was over two million years ago." The
result is a fun-filled presentation that educates the reader on
the scientific information in the field of astronomy.
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Incidentally,
according to Merlin the moon does make moonbows: "(They) tend
to appear when you look at the Moon through a hazy,
semitransparent cloud of tiny ice particles."
Dr.
Tyson has written a very entertaining and informative book on the
science of astronomy. One of the joys of reading this book is the
question and answer style of covering the broad subject
categories. This allows one to read from cover-to-cover or open
the book at any page and begin reading a submitted question to
Merlin with his response. Most of the responses are in narrative
form; a few are presented in poetic rhyme. Dr. Tyson has included
a glossary of terms common in astronomy, a bibliography for
further reading, and an easy to use index.
Dr.
Tyson is currently the Frederick P. Rose director of the Hayden
Planetarium. He has published several books and his writing
appears in many publications, including the magazine "Natural
History."
"Merlin’s
Tour Of The Universe" is recommended for any adult or young
person who is looking for an entertaining source of information to
expand their knowledge of the universe.
For
more information, visit the library at 725 Pekin St. or call
732-8878.
[Richard
Sumrall,
Lincoln Public Library District]
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