Star performers

Do we need yet another book of images from Hubble? The answer is a resounding
yes. Do read Deep Space (Constable, £16.99, ISBN 009479670X) by Simon
Goodwin and John Gribbin. Newborn galaxies, dying galaxies and everything in
between plus an extended glossary give us the whole Hubble. This is a top-notch
Christmas present for your family astronomer. So, too, is Ken Croswell’s
Magnificent Universe (Simon & Schuster, £40, ISBN 0684845946),
admittedly in the coffee-table stable, but worth owning for the images and
straightforward explanations. Now everybody can understand what a globular
cluster is—and how to spot one.