From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry comes a follow-up guide to more of the most popular questions about the universe. In this companion volume to Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Neil de Grasse Tyson presents a completely new collection of questions and answers about the cosmos for stargazers of all ages. Whether waxing about Earth and its environs, the Sun and its stellar siblings, the world of light, physical laws, or galaxies near and far, Merlin--a fictional visitor from Planet Omniscia and our guide to the universe--is easy to understand, often humorous, and always entertaining. Merlin fields a wide range of questions from many curious mortals, and in so doing draws on his own vast knowledge as well as the expertise of many close friends, including Archimedes, Galileo, Einstein, and Santa. Merlin hasn't been stumped yet, responding to questions including: If aliens exploded our moon, what effect would it have on us? What are your thoughts on the theory that a star named Nemesis is circling our solar system and was responsible for killing off the dinosaurs? Is it true that if I leave a container on my roof for a period of time, I can actually collect space particles from outer space? Delightfully illustrated throughout, Just Visiting This Planet is a timeless book for lovers of the universe by one of its brightest lights.

Following the success of "Merlin's Tour of the Universe", Tyson offers a companion volume of wonderfully informative and entertaining Q & A by America's best-loved astronomer. Line drawings. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Born the youngest of three, in London, England, Rainbow has always been an aAmericaphilea, loving all things American, especially chrome and fins on cars! At 15, he left academia and enrolled in the University of Life. He traveled to America in the a70s and again in the a80s, although that rock-and-roll dream ended in him returning to England, totally broke and alone. He turned for comfort and companionship to his ascratching pada and wrote, always coming out in verse, when the muse struck, his expressions and observations on what he fondly calls the upright biped species that infect this planet, as well as his own thoughts and experiences. He slowly became convinced that he was not from this planet, even if that only meant he seemed alien to most people! However, U.S. Immigration finally confirmed it when they stamped his passport as a legal permanent resident and issued him with his official alien number! Thank you, U.S.A. Now itas official! I come in peace, but please, donat take the peace!

For Pluto, summer has always started with a trip to the planetarium. It’s the launch to her favorite season, which also includes visits to the boardwalk arcade, working in her mom’s pizzeria, and her best friend Meredith’s birthday party. But this summer, none of that feels possible. A month before the end of the school year, Pluto’s frightened mom broke down Pluto’s bedroom door. What came next were doctor’s appointments, a diagnosis of depression, and a big black hole that still sits on Pluto’s chest, making it too hard to do anything. Pluto can’t explain to her mom why she can’t do the things she used to love. And it isn’t until Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move with him to the city—where he believes his money, in particular, could help—that Pluto becomes desperate enough to do whatever it takes to be the old Pluto again. She develops a plan and a checklist: If she takes her medication, if she goes to the planetarium with her mom for her birthday, if she successfully finishes her summer school work with her tutor, if she goes to Meredith’s birthday party . . . if she does all the things that “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom in Jersey. But it takes a new therapist, a new tutor, and a new (and cute) friend with a checklist and plan of her own for Pluto to learn that there is no old and new Pluto. There’s just her.

The New York Times bestseller: "You gotta read this. It is the most exciting book about Pluto you will ever read in your life." —Jon Stewart When the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History reclassified Pluto as an icy comet, the New York Times proclaimed on page one, "Pluto Not a Planet? Only in New York." Immediately, the public, professionals, and press were choosing sides over Pluto's planethood. Pluto is entrenched in our cultural and emotional view of the cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, award-winning author and director of the Rose Center, is on a quest to discover why. He stood at the heart of the controversy over Pluto's demotion, and consequently Plutophiles have freely shared their opinions with him, including endless hate mail from third-graders. With his inimitable wit, Tyson delivers a minihistory of planets, describes the oversized characters of the people who study them, and recounts how America's favorite planet was ousted from the cosmic hub.

A Standalone Short Story with No Cliffhanger! Roderick was eager to take over the throne and become king of planet Avant, but his father had other plans for him. The often stoic and disagreeable prince must first find a wife before he can ‘inherit’ the throne. The young, handsome prince drew plenty of attention from the females on his own planet easily enough, but he suspected they were just being nice to him because he was a prince. It wasn’t easy to meet someone who treated him like a regular alien. Then his mother urges Roderick to travel to Earth, to search for woman who doesn’t know him and could be a perfect wife. Roderick meets Isabella. He’s drawn to her at first sight and knows that the beautiful woman from Earth is the one for him. Being a prince, Roderick just takes Isabella back to his home planet of Avant where he marries her and finally takes the throne as king. Isabella is stunned. She has no idea what she’s been thrown into on Avant. All of a sudden she is married and queen of an entire planet. Will Isabella and Roderick get along? Will their marriage ever be a true one? --- TAGS: alpha male alien romance, alpha male romance, scifi alien romance, alien abduction romance, alpha male aliens, alien fantasy books, alien romance, aliens, scifi romance, Space opera romance, science fiction romance, steamy science fiction romance, hot aliens, fantasy alien romance, paranormal romance, military science fiction books, paranormal with sex, fantasy fiction, psychic romance, steamy paranormal romance, sci fi romance, sci-fi romance, Fated mates, alien mate, new adult, genetic engineering, alien contact, alpha male, alpha female, supernatural, alien invasion romance

Emissary of Peace is a science fiction novel about an ambassador, named T'Lars. He is also a scientist and a computer geek. The central government of the Varangian Confederacy sends him on an important mission, which is, in actuality, three missions in one. The mission lasts many months, since it involves travel for many thousands of light years to distant parts of the galaxy. He is assigned to travel with Commander L'Qwan, who commands the Confederate Star Ship L'Thor, and Subcommander T'Larissa, who is second in command. The L'Thor is named after the hero of an ancient interstellar battle from many centuries ago. The first assignment is to investigate a mysterious rogue space ship, which entered the galaxy through a wormhole. During the course of the investigation, they get help from allies, called the Tivoli Republic. The Tivoli are intelligent cats, that assist the ambassador, by towing the rogue ship to the Tivoli-Varangian border. The investigation results in the uncovering of ancient mysteries, involving the origins of the Varangians. Historical facts are uncovered from archives found on that ship. These archives were left on that rogue ship by a people distantly related to the ancestors of the Varangians. This assignment results in having some ancient mysteries solved. At the same time, new mysteries emerge. They are about to proceed with the second assignment of the mission, when, unexpectedly, advanced beings transport them to the Andromeda Galaxy. This results in deviations from the original mission plan. In the process, they learn about the fate of ancient allies of the Varangian ancestors, and how they ended up in the Andromeda Galaxy. These ancient allies are the Iripini, who were victims of a viral biological attack. They were an ill-fated people, who died off. The L'Thor was investigating the remains and artifacts of their civilization. During the course of the investigation, they encounter two alien species, and Ambassador T'Lars ends up brokering a peace between those alien species. The result is good, where the former Iripini planet ends up in good hands of the two alien species, who agree to a joint and shared control of the planet. After the advanced beings transport the L'Thor back to the Milky Way Galaxy, they end up closer to Earth, where they are able to proceed with their assignment. They visit Earth as part of an assigned scientific team. On Earth, the year is 2042 AD. Without interfering in any of the political affairs of Earth at the time, as instructed, they collect voluminous amounts of botanical, zoological, geological, cultural, and historical information. This assignment brings them to many countries on most continents around the world. They come into contact with many cultures around the world and even make several friends. They explore tropical rain forests, deserts, and other habitats. They learn about Earth's history. They also learn that the humans and Varangians share some genetic material, which opens up another mystery. The last assignment of this mission is to negotiate a peace treaty with another superpower in the galaxy, the Federation of Incorporated Planets. This part of the assignment is always problematic, because of the nature of how the Federation is run. It is run like a corporation! He succeeds at drawing up the peace treaty, because of the _convenient_ nature of the trade agreements, linked to the stipulations of the treaty. Beyond that the Federation's central government seems to display a strong disinterest. In the end, all aspects of the mission result in overall success, but as some ancient mysteries are solved, other mysteries, and potential ancient threats, remain. Not all problems can be solved so easily! Various themes are expressed, involving issues of war and peace, environmental issues, philosophy, history, and political affairs. Various civilizations are introduced with a wide spectrum of levels of advancement. Behind it all, Ambas