About the Book
From Neil deGrasse Tyson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, comes a spirited journey to the planets and stars, revealing the answers to many mysteries of our galaxy and beyond.
In this companion volume to Merlin's Tour of the Universe, we visit again with Merlin, a timeless traveler from Planet Omniscia, who answers a collection of imaginative questions about the cosmos from curious stargazers. Whether waxing poetic about Earth and its environs, the Sun and its stellar siblings, physical laws, or galaxies near and far, Merlin's remarks are witty, humorous, and clear as a starry night sky.
Merlin tackles such conundrums as:
If aliens exploded Earth's moon, what effect would it have on us?
Are black holes gathering matter in preparation for another big bang in another time and dimension?
Why does the Moon look bigger on the horizon?
Accompanied by the playful illustrations of Stephen J. Tyson, Just Visiting This Planet is a lively, entertaining, and indispensable guidebook to the universe.
About the Author :
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the author of the #1 bestselling Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, among other books. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, where he has served since 1996. Dr. Tyson is the host and cofounder of the Emmy-nominated podcast StarTalk. He lives in New York City.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the author of the #1 bestselling Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, among other books. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, where he has served since 1996. Dr. Tyson is the host and cofounder of the Emmy-nominated podcast StarTalk. He lives in New York City.
Jim Meskimen is an American comedian and actor, best known for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and his extensive voice acting and television work. Books he has narrated include the Calendar Mysteries series by Ron Roy, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, by Josh Berk, and The Deleted E-Mails of Hillary Clinton by John Moe. Jennifer Aquino is an American actor based in Los Angeles. She works in film, television, theater, and voice-over. She's known as the doctor who killed McDreamy on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Her theater background includes performances at East West Players, The Actors' Gang, LaJolla Playhouse, Theatre West, El Portal Theatre, Center Stage Theatre, Victory Theatre, and Lodestone Theatre. Her voice has been described as "grounded," "youthful," "refreshing," and "pleasing to the ear." Jennifer loves giving voice to young adults, and reading journeys of empowered women in romantic comedies, LitRPG books, fantasy/sci-fi novels, mysteries, and thrillers. Her background in theater and voice contributes to her narration in giving each character a unique life. Soneela Nankani is an award-winning narrator with over three hundred titles. She has garnered sixteen Earphones Awards, nominations for Audie and SOVAS awards, and was recently awarded AudioFile magazine's Golden Voice Lifetime Achievement Honor. Her audiobooks have been featured in Best Audiobooks lists by AudioFile magazine and the Washington Post, among others. She lives in the DC area with her husband and two mischievous daughters.
Jaime Lincoln Smith is an audiobook narrator who has won AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award in 2022. An actor based in New York City, he has been featured on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as on network television and in films. A first-generation Jamaican American, raised in Bloomfield, Connecticut, he is an actor, writer, producer, and educator.
Bronson Pinchot is an experienced narrator and actor who has appeared in multiple films and television shows. His film and television credits include Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop, True Romance, and Perfect Strangers. A lover of Greek Revival architecture and soft shell crab, he currently resides in Manhattan. Natalie Naudus is one of the most beloved audiobook narrators working today and now author of her debut novel, Gay the Pray Away.
Kevin R. Free is an audiobook narrator and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several AudioFile best narrations of the year selections. Known for his work with young-adult novels, he has read titles by Rick Riordan, Walter Dean Myers, and Joe Haldeman. In 2011 he was named a Best Voice in Young Adult and Fantasy from AudioFile magazine for his narration of Myers' The Cruisers: Checkmate.
Deanna Anthony is a classically trained singer, actress, and audiobook narrator. A former beauty queen, she has performed in over fifty regional and international theaters. When not working, she enjoys quilting and sewing, reading romance, and enjoying home-cooked meals and baked treats. Rory Barnett is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.
Natalie Lloyd lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She collects old books, listens to bluegrass music, and loves exploring quirky mountain towns with her dog, Biscuit. She is the author of A Snicker of Magic and The Key to Extraordinary.
Cassandra Morris lives in Los Angeles and has received critical acclaim for her voice-over work from Publishers Weekly and AudioFile magazine, and was the narrator on the 2015 Odyssey Honor title and Audie Award finalist A Snicker of Magic. To date, she has narrated over a hundred audiobooks. André Santana is a NYC-based audiobook narrator on a journey to tell great stories. He's a Black, Latine, and non-binary voice actor delivering intentional and human performances. Operating with a keen sense for realistic delivery, he inevitably becomes a fan of every book he narrates and shares that joy through his performances. Liam Gerrard is an award-winning voice artist with over fifteen years of experience working in every field of the voice industry, as well as a highly acclaimed stage and screen actor. A 2017 Audie Award nominee, he has narrated numerous audiobooks in a wide range of genres and styles.
Em Grosland (he/they/she) is a transgender, nonbinary actor and artist with over 50 books under their belt. They love giving voice to powerful trans boys and men, rebellious tomboys, nonbinary humans and fantastical creatures, sapphic folks falling in love, and any and all books that challenge late-stage capitalism or highlight the joy and strength of marginalized folks. Em was lucky enough to be read to by their mother, so they narrate from the beliefs that grown-ups and kids all benefit from storytelling and that nothing can replace the human voice. What defined humanity as being a culture instead of a pack was when the first storyteller decided to share. They love finding the very specific life of each character through subtle (and occasionally not so subtle) vocal qualities. Em truly enjoys performing a story more than simply reading it. They pay very close attention to the full arc of the story and the ways in which the character and the narrator learn and grow from the beginning to the end.
Pun Bandhu is an award-winning actor who has worked on Broadway, off Broadway, in TV, and in film. He is the recipient of the Colorado Theatre Guild's Henry Award for Best Supporting Actor and New Dramatists' Bowden Award for his distinguished collaboration on new works.
Lauren Fortgang, a graduate of Fordham University's Theater Program, is an actress, costume designer, and narrator. She has recorded everything from video games to textbooks. Her audiobook narrations have earned AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed her as a finalist for an Audie Award in 2014.
Review :
"Tyson has created a space-age Merlin. An astrophysicist and educator, Tyson weaves together imaginative with straightforward science."
-- "USA Today"
"Tyson is a master of streamlining and simplification...taking mind-bogglingly complex ideas, stripping them down to their nuts and bolts, padding them with colorful allegories and dorky jokes, and making them accessible to the layperson."
-- "Salon"
"We all have some questions we'd like to ask about astronomy. Well, here they are--and the answers too, short, straightforward, light-hearted, and correct."
-- "Isaac Asimov, on the original publication of companion volume Merlin's Tour of the Universe"
