An enchanting look at the heavens that unlocks the sky's mysteries & celebrates the beauty of the universe. The sky is one great constant, bearing extraordinary colors & images in every kind of weather. Modern astronomy has revealed many secrets of the sky. Now the most intriguing ones have been distilled for a popular audience. With illustrations & engaging text, The Turtle & the Stars brings stargazers face-to-face with facts & lore. Topics include: What color is the atmosphere of Mars? Might it someday appear as blue as ours? How does the Milky Way cast shadows? Why is it we never see the sunset as it's occurring? Earthly questions range from why the Taj Mahal glimmers when you gaze up at it to why the top of the Empire State Building travels farther than its lower floors each day. With contagious enthusiasm, Upgren also invites the contemplation of the natural beauty of the cosmos thru recollecting scenes such as a leatherback turtle depositing her eggs under a sky lit only by Venus, or witnessing total solar eclipse in Venezuela. A trove of facts sprinkled with references to history, literature, film & music, this is a wonderful tour for armchair astronomers & naturalists alike.