Cosmos: The Art and Science of the Universe, Hardcover

Since time immemorial, the nocturnal skies have mesmerized us, and heavenly bodies have inspired the imaginations of artists, poets, and scientists. Featuring paintings, sculpture, drawings, watercolors, prints, as well as plates from books, celestial diagrams, and astronomical photography, this book showcases the superstars of the firmament and the universe beyond in sumptuous illustrations.

Cosmos: The Art and Science of the Universe charts the human love affair with the heavens in art and astronomy in a story based on sound science and insightful art and cultural history. With thrilling and seductive illustrations, Cosmos recounts in ten lively chapters the fascinating history of the human quest to unlock the mysteries of the universe. Showcasing works of art and new information, interpretations, and amusing anecdotes, this stunning book weaves a rich tapestry of celestial interconnections and our efforts to understand the universe, unveiling the beauty of the cosmos and its compelling story.

Roberta J. M. Olson is curator of drawings at the New-York Historical Society and professor emeritus of art history at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. She is the author of Fire and Ice: A History of Comets in Art. Jay M. Pasachoff is the Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy and director of the Hopkins Observatory at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and coauthor of The Sun, also published by Reaktion Books. Olson and Pasachoff have been jointly working on the intersection of art and astronomy since the 1985-1986 passage of Halley's Comet brought them together. They are coauthors of Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and Science, and Cosmos is the culmination of their decades of collaboration.