The universe stretches at least 130 billion trillion kilometers in every direction around us. The magnificent vault of stars that we can see from Earth's night skies are just a fraction of the hundreds of billions that inhabit our galaxy, and there are at least as many galaxies in the universe as there are stars in the Milky Way.<br><br><i>Cosmos</i> makes sense of this dizzying celestial panorama by exploring it one step at a time and by illustrating the planets, moons, stars, nebulae, white dwarfs, black holes and other exotica that populate the heavens with over 450 of the most spectacular photographs and illustrations. Updated to take into account the latest developments in cosmic exploration, it features the Curiosity rover on Mars, the Huygens probe that has reached Saturn's moons, and the continuing search for extrasolar planets that might support life. It also includes the most up-to-date images from across the cosmos: pictures from the Hubble Ultra Deep Field telescope showing the furthest reaches of our galaxy, as well as our nearest planets in breathtaking new detail.<br><br>The book has also been enhanced with exciting new Aurasma technology, allowing you to unlock moving video footage from images in the book with most web-enabled smartphones or tablets. Simply download and open the free QuercusEye app, and look for pictures with the QuercusEye icon. Hover the camera above the image so the picture fits the screen, and watch the wonders of the universe unfold. Go to www.quercuseye.com for more details.<br><br>Packaged in individual shipper carton with carrying handle