A Space Traveller's Guide To The Solar System
  • Published: 15 January 2016
  • ISBN: 9780552170581
  • Imprint: Corgi
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $27.99

A Space Traveller's Guide To The Solar System

Formats & editions
EBook
9 Apr 2015
Paperback
15 Jan 2016
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An enchanting and wildly entertaining tour of the Solar System

Have you ever dreamt of being an astronaut, travelling through the universe on your very own space mission? What would it be like to tour the Solar System, visiting the Sun and the planets, taking in everything from moons to asteroid belts along the way? What would you see, and how would you feel? What would you eat? How would you navigate and produce fuel? How would you survive?

On this epic voyage of discovery, astronomer Mark Thompson takes you on that journey. From how to prepare for take-off and the experience of leaving Earth’s atmosphere, to the reality of living in the confines of a spaceship and the strange sensation of weightlessness, this is an adventure like no other. Suit up, strap in and enjoy the ride.
  • Published: 15 January 2016
  • ISBN: 9780552170581
  • Imprint: Corgi
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $27.99
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About the author

Mark Thompson

Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson played 202 games for Essendon Football Club from 1983 to 1996 under legendary coach Kevin Sheedy. He captained the side for four seasons. Thompson played in three premierships in 1984, 1985 and 1993 alongside some characters and champions in an era where footy was a game, not a brand.

After a stint as an assistant coach at Essendon and then at North Melbourne under Denis Pagan, Thompson sold his electrical business and became the senior coach of the Geelong Football Club, where he seized the opportunity to combine his own ideas about footy and management with what he’d learnt from Sheedy and Pagan. After surviving a major review of his football department in 2006, Thompson coached the greatest team of all to the club’s drought-breaking premiership in 2007, then took them to another flag in 2009. In November 2010 he left Geelong, burnt out but leaving the legacy of a winning culture. He returned to Essendon as senior assistant coach to James Hird in 2011, and was then appointed senior coach for the 2014 season when Hird was suspended. He left Essendon at the end of 2014 and is now a panelist on Fox Footy.

portrait photo of Mark Thompson

Also by Mark Thompson

Enough Said
Bomber: The Whole Story
A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos
See all

Praise for A Space Traveller's Guide To The Solar System

Mark is a wonderful promoter of Astronomy. He's tremendously knowledgeable about the geography of the night sky, guiding the experienced amateur and complete novice with equal skill and passion.

Professor Brian Cox

It'll make you want to save the odd £20m for a flight to outer space.

Shortlist

Your personal star trek. In this infectiously lively and informative book ... every aspect of this virtual journey is meticulously planned. Thompson is a natural communicator and one comes away with a profound sense of the wonders of space.

Simon Shaw, Mail on Sunday

Ideal for both Science Fiction writers and readers because it looks at the current start of our Solar System and how to do a fifty year tour. There is a lot that can be learnt from this book and those of you who desire to do a little travelling will certainly find something here to supplement your knowledge and imagination.

SFcrowsnest

Fascinating. I would definitely recommend this book.

Curiosity Killed the Bookworm

Evocative… We’re living in a golden age for space exploration, and in A Space Traveller’s Guide to the Solar System, Mark Thompson draws upon much of this knowledge to serve as our tour guide to the archipelago of planets and moons that share our Sun with us… Thompson discusses not just the characteristics of the worlds encountered, but also deals with the mechanics of spacecraft and what it takes to keep astronauts alive… Fascinating gems of information glitter from the text

Lewis Dartnell, The Telegraph

Every step of the way in Mark Thompson’s virtual tour of the solar system there’s something new and bizarre and fascinating to discover… We’ll never go there ourselves, sadly. But losing yourself in this lively, infectiously optimistic book is the next best thing

Marcus Berkmann, The Daily Mail

Mark Thompson brilliantly evokes the excitement of space travel.

Good Book Guide

Overall, Thompson’s book reads like a Lonely Planet guide to the solar system – light-hearted, yet rooted in scientific observations. Thompson’s writing is deeply charming and sometimes so matter-of-fact it’s hilarious. Though certainly written for a general audience, Thompson carefully bases the currently impossible journey on cutting-edge research. I highly recommend A space traveller’s guide to the solar system – once I had started, I simply couldn’t put it down.

Chemistry World
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