FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT

About the Book

FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT is an intimate adventure with the sky and stars. This unique combination of prose, poetry, and art invites the reader to explore—in the company of an astronomer, poet, and artist—a night of wonder under the stars. The book can be thought of as an excursion into the earth’s own shadow, from nightfall to dawn, including a liftoff into outer space and a perspective on the delights of our home planet. It is structured in seven chaptrs:

• TWILIGHT ZONE, a time when our perceptions shift and we become aware of a wider universe.
• MOONGLOW. Through all its phases, our little sister-planet, the moon, is a constant source of wonder.
• DEEP SKY. When the moon sets, the sky darkens and deepens, and countless new objects come into view.
• ORION AND FRIENDS. Constellations help us make friends with the stars.
• REACHING OUT. In our time we have truly begun to reach for the stars.
• THE HOME PLANET. From space, we look back on our earth and see, with more discerning eyes, its times, seasons, lights, shadows, and colors.
• GOOD NIGHT. Finally, even astronomers must go to bed.

Bridging the gulf that so often separates the sciences from the arts and humanities, FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT shows how the astrophysicist’s space and the poet/artist’s sky can be understood and appreciated at one and the same time. It is written for young and old readers alike, but always for the young in heart. Author/poet Robert Eklund and illustrator/designer Virginia Hoge invite you to come along with them on a…

Billion-year mission:
Descrambling the wonder
Outside and inside.

About the Author