The Book of the Moon: A Guide to Our Closest Neighbor

By Maggie Aderin-Pocock

The BBC’s “face of space” explores all things lunar in this comprehensive guide to the folklore, facts, and possible futures of our only natural satellite.

Have you ever wondered if there are seasons on the moon or if space tourism will ever become widely accessible? So has Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, astronomer and host of the BBC’s docuseries, The Sky at Night. In this lucidly written guide, Aderin-Pocock takes readers on a fascinating lunar journey.



Aderin-Pocock begins with a basic overview—unpacking everything from the moon’s topography and composition to its formation and orbit around the Earth. She examines beliefs held by ancient civilizations, the technology that allowed for the first moon landing, a brief history of moongazing, and how the moon has influenced culture throughout the years. Looking to the future, she delves into the pros and cons of continued space travel and exploration.

Throughout the book are sidebars, graphs, and charts to enhance the facts as well as black-and-white illustrations of the moon and stars.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781683356028

Book preview

MOON 101:

THE BASICS

THE MOON has fascinated humankind since the beginning of history and has long captured our imagination. After years of investigation and scientific progress, we now know much more about the science of the Moon—such as what it is made of, and, at least in theory, how it was formed.

So let’s begin by getting to grips with the scientific fundamentals of the Moon. The term 101 is used in some universities and colleges around the world to indicate that a course is an introduction to the subject and requires no previous knowledge, which is precisely the case here. There will be times when the science gets complex, but I can assure you, by the end of this chapter you’ll have a firm foundation for everything you need to know. And what better place to start than with its

Reviews for The Book of the Moon

[mypennameonly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a paperback ARC [Advanced Reader’s Copy], uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher through a giveaway they had on GoodReads and the following is my honest opinion.For some reason, reading this book, reminded me of the song Getting to Know You from the The King and I. What the book’s author, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, has done here is to give her readers an expose of the moon which goes beyond the scientific explanation of the moon itself from its description, both on its surface and what lies below it to its environment and how it got formed.With having told her readers about the moon itself, the author proceeds to educate readers about the fascination we’ve got regarding it culturally, past, present and future. From mere moongazing with Galileo inventing the telescope, to our use of the moon as a way of telling time along with our ancestral superstitions and praying to it. Not to be overlooked, Dr. Aderin-Pocock continues to demonstrate how the moon has influenced individuals to write poems, folktales and science fiction stories, giving examples; most notably H.G. Wells’ classic The First Men in the Moon. The written word is not the only thing the moon has influenced, it also done the same to works of art, which the author hasn’t failed to include giving her readers five examples.Moving on to the present the author continues with our increasing fascination of the moon, going into greater details of our observation of it and our space missions to it. But what good is all of this, if we don’t look towards our future relationship with the moon, with additional missions to it, and perhaps ultimately creating a moon base with people there; all of which is explored by the author in this book.For wanting her readers to be educated regarding the moon in the manner she has, I’m happy to give Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, the 5 STARS she so richly deserves.