Space.com’s editors present a reading list for space and sci-fi lovers, as well as children who are interested in astronomy and spaceflight.
There are plenty of great books out there about space — so many, in fact, that it can feel a little overwhelming to figure out where to start. So the editors and writers at Space.com have put together a list of their favorite books about the universe. These are the books that we love — the ones that informed us, entertained us and inspired us. We hope they’ll do the same for you.
We’ve divided the books into five categories, which each have their own dedicated pages. On this page, we feature books we’re reading now and books we’ve recently read, which we will update regularly. Click to see the best of:
We hope there’s something on the list for every reader of every age. We’re also eager to hear about your favorite space books, so please leave your suggestions in the comments, and let us know why you love them. You can see our ongoing Space Books coverage here .
What We’re Reading:
‘CatStronauts’ (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017)
By Drew Brockington
“CatStronauts: Mission Moon” by Drew Brockington
Credit: Little, Brown and Co.
Blast off on a space adventure with the most adorable space travelers in the cosmos: the CatStronauts! The graphic novel series tells the story of some incredible spacefaring felines — Major Meowser, Pom Pom, Blanket and Waffles — as they venture to the moon, Mars and beyond. In “Mission Moon,” the gang solves a global energy crisis by building a solar power plant on the moon. In the second book, “Race to Mars,” they blast off again in an attempt to beat the CosmoCats to the Red Planet. ~Hanneke Weitering
Space.com spoke with Drew Brockington about his CatStronauts books here . Check out excerpts from “Mission Moon” here .
‘Exoplanets’ (Smithsonian Books, 2017)
By Michael Summers and James Trefil
“Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System” (Smithsonian Books, 2017) by Michael Summers and James Trefil
Credit: Ron Miller/Jody Billert
The search for planets beyond Earth’s solar system has revealed countless surprises, including the existence of strange and unexpected worlds that astronomers would have never imagined existed only a few decades ago. A new book titled “Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System” (Smithsonian Books, 2017) explores the history of exoplanet research, illustrates the many different types of planets that have been discovered to date and discusses how astronomers plan to further study these newfound alien worlds. ~Samantha Mathewson
You can read an interview with the authors here .
‘Asteroid Hunters’ (Simon & Schuster, 2017)
By Carrie Nugent
“Asteroid Hunters” (Simon & Schuster, 2017) by Carrie Nugent.
Credit: Simon & Schuster
The solar system is a wild place, and even Earth’s immediate neighborhood is much more chaotic than maps would suggest — researchers discover more than 100 near-Earth asteroids every month. A new book by Carrie Nugent, an asteroid researcher from Caltech, goes through how we find asteroids and near-Earth objects and what we would do if one was heading toward us. “Asteriod Hunters” (Simon & Schuster, 2017) is a quick overview of the growing field, giving a feel for how science is done and where we’ll have to pick up speed to protect Earth — plus, a visceral understanding of exactly how much risk is out there. ~Sarah Lewin
Read an interview with Nugent on the book and the latest in asteroid hunting here .
‘Amazing Stories of the Space Age’ (Prometheus, 2017)
By Rod Pyle
“Amazing Stories of the Space Age: True Tales of Nazis in Orbit, Soldiers on the Moon, Orphaned Martian Robots, and Other Fascinating Accounts from the Annals of Spaceflight,” by Rod Pyle.
Credit: Nicole Sommer-Lecht/Prometheus Books
Spaceflight writer and historian Rod Pyle’s new book brings together tales of the most incredible and at times bizarre space missions ever conceived. Some of the missions and proposals discussed in the book will likely be well-known to space history buffs, but others are more obscure: Pyle dug deep to find mission concepts buried by history. There are stories of Wernher von Braun’s plans for sending humans to Mars, an idea backed by Freeman Dyson to create a nuclear-powered rocket (with the unfortunate side effect of increasing cancer rates among people living near the launch site), and a briefly considered proposal to build a military base on the moon in anticipation of the U.S. engaging in lunar battles with the Soviets. These stories provide a good perspective on just how many space missions ultimately fail for every one that succeeds. ~Calla Cofield
You can read an interview with author Rod Pyle here , and and excerpt from “Amazing Stories of the Space Age” here .
‘Spaceborne’ (Press Syndication Group, 2016)
By Don Pettit
“Spaceborne” by Don Pettit
Credit: PSG
NASA astronaut Don Pettit’s stunning space photographs fill the pages of “Spaceborne,” a glossy photo collection that spotlights the ever-changing Earth, streaking stars and the details of the International Space Station. Over the course of Pettit’s three space missions, he captured hundreds of thousands of photographs documenting an astronaut’s view — and the best of them are collected here.
Pettit’s photographs of cities at night feature alongside Earth’s natural wonders, auroras and glowing atmosphere, often framed by the space station’s outstretched solar panels and modules. Long-exposure photos create psychadelic streaks on Earth and whirling star trails above, taking full advantage of an astronaut’s unique vantage point, and Pettit talks readers through the sights and how he captured them. ~Sarah Lewin
Read Space.com’s Q&A with Pettit on space photography here , and see a gallery of “Spaceborne” images here .
Again, check out our full lists here:
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