Magnitude

January 1, 2018

Arcand and Watzke, both of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, along with illustrator and astrophysicist Peek wish to help readers understand the scale of measurement throughout the universe. They begin with an explanation of the logarithmic scale, which is used in most of the examples, followed by a brief lesson in SI base units and scientific notation. Within each of the book's four parts--"Size and Quantity," "Rates and Ratios," "Phenomena and Processes," and "Computation"--are specific measurements, such as distance, area, and rotation. Each of those measurements provides a colorful information graphic or illustration to display the scale of the universe. For distance, the examples range from a small gravitational wave to one that spans the Atlantic Ocean. These examples also include beautiful infographics and highly visualized charts. VERDICT An intriguing way to understand physical scale within the universe. Recommended for fans of popular science authors such as Neil deGrasse Tyson.--Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

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