Review by Booklist Review
This large-format volume profiles astronomer Marcy and his search for planets in other solar systems. Though he struggled with schoolwork in high school, Marcy persevered and found his calling as a planet hunter, looking for places that might harbor intelligent life. Marcy and a fellow scientist developed a method for detecting such planets and collected data for 10 years; in 1995, they made their first of many discoveries. Bolstered by lengthy sidebars and captions, the text explains the scientific techniques that enable astronomers to locate and study far-distant planets. The last chapter looks forward to the next phase of study, using data from NASA's Kepler Mission, launched in 2009. Clearly reproduced on glossy pages, the many striking illustrations include large, dramatic photos and artists' images of objects in space as well as smaller photos of the scientists and diagrams that help explain their work. Lists of books and Internet sites are appended. Though many will find the text challenging, readers motivated to learn about the search for distant planets will enjoy this attractive book.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-This rare look at one of the most successful scientists searching for planets orbiting other stars provides clear explanations of the incredibly sensitive instruments required along with a sense of how ingenious researchers have to be in leveraging the data into credible evidence. Color photos of researchers at work and speculative artists' views of exotic locales put readers on both ends of the telescope. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The eternally fascinating question as to whether there is life on planets other than our own fuels this detailed examination of the life and work of astronomer Geoff Marcy. His research focuses on one piece of this puzzle: locating relatively tiny planets at great distances from us and determining if they resemble our Earth. Wittenstein interweaves details of Marcy's career and life paths and an in-depth look at the advances he and his colleagues have made. Major scientific developments in this field have happened in just the past twenty years and include related technological advancements using specialized spectrometers to filter the light from stars and determine the presence and orbital paths of their planets. Wittenstein deftly captures the essence of a research community with profiles of some of Marcy's team members and gives attention to competing methodological approaches to detecting planets. The excellent color illustrations include photographs of the scientists; the Keck Observatory and its telescopes in Hawaii; detailed diagrams of the experimental setups; and artistic renderings of how distant solar systems might appear closer up. Appended are books for further reading, websites for readers and educators, a glossary, and an index. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
On an inhospitable Hawaiian mountaintop, using one of the most powerful optical telescopes in the world, astronomer Dr. Geoffrey Marcy and others search for planets outside our solar system. When the first one was discovered in 1995, he and his team corroborated the discovery; since then they have found nearly half the 400 planets identified so far, using methods they developed. Colorfully illustrated with photographs, diagrams and artists' renderings, this description of a scientist's work concentrates on this relatively new branch of astronomy. Debut author Wittenstein includes chapters on Marcy's background and preparation, the techniques he and others use and the history of extrasolar planet discovery. Sidebars and full-page explanations, set off by a differently colored background, introduce other scientists in this field and define and explain important concepts and parallel investigations. The author's explanations are clear, well organized and interestingly written with plenty of quotations from the scientists, but the material is not simple. An extensive bibliography provides books and websites for middle- and high-school readers as well as their teachers. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
