The Big Backyard: The Solar System beyond Pluto

by Ron Miller

Thousands of years ago, humans believed that Earth was the center of the universe, that the world they lived on was all there was. Truthfully, the solar system extends almost halfway to the nearest star. And it is composed of not only planets, asteroids, and comets, but also powerful forces and vast fields of energy. This is our solar system’s big backyard. The cold, dark world that lies at the farthest reaches of our solar system holds a vast collection of secrets, and for most of human history, we had no idea anything was out there. But, driven by curiosity and equipped with new technology, astronomers have determined that beyond the orbit of Neptune are countless icy comets, strange particles that dance under the influence of the sun, and signs of undiscovered planets. To learn more about these far-flung objects, scientists have finally begun to explore the distant solar system, finding answers to age-old questions at the same time that they encounter new mysteries. With Ron Miller’s incredible illustrations and photographs from NASA probes and telescopes, The Big Backyard takes us on a tour through the solar system’s most obscure neighborhoods and into its darkest corners, to places beyond the limits of the human eye. Miller expertly describes the formation of the solar system and the history of the exploration of the outer solar system before delving into the latest discoveries and missions. Read on to learn what sorts of objects orbit at such extreme distances, what happens at the boundary between the sun’s influence and interstellar space, whether there is such a thing as the mysterious Planet X, and how life on Earth could not exist without the happenings at the edge of the solar system.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Teen, Space

104 pages, Library Binding

First published March 7, 2023

About the author

Ron Miller is an illustrator and author living in South Boston, Virginia. Before becoming a freelance illustrator in 1977, Miller was art director for the National Air & Space Museum's Albert Einstein Planetarium. Prior to this he was a commercial advertising illustrator. His primary work today entails the writing and illustration of books specializing in astronomical, astronautical and science fiction subjects. His special interest is in exciting young people about science, and in recent years has focused on writing books for young adults. To date he has more than 50 titles to his credit. His work has also appeared on scores of book jackets, book interiors and in magazines such as National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Scientific American, Smithsonian, Air & Space, Sky & Telescope, Newsweek, Natural History, Discover, Geo, etc.

Miller's books include the Hugo-nominated The Grand Tour, Cycles of Fire, In the Stream of Stars, and The History of Earth. All of have been Book-of-the-Month Club Feature Selections (as well as selections of the Science, Quality Paperback and Astronomy book clubs) and have seen numerous translations.

Considered an authority on Jules Verne, Miller translated and illustrated new, definitive editions of Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth as well as a major companion/atlas to Verne's works. He has worked as a consultant on Verne for Disney Imagineering and for A&E's Biography series.

Miller is also considered an authority on the early history of spaceflight. The Dream Machines, a comprehensive 744-page history of manned spacecraft, was nominated for the prestigious IAF Manuscript Award and won the Booklist Editor's Choice Award.

As an artist, Miller has designed a set of ten commemorative stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and has been a production illustrator for motion pictures, notably Dune and Total Recall. He has also done preproduction concepts, consultation and matte art for David Lynch, George Miller, John Ellis, UFO Films and James Cameron. He designed and co-directed the computer-generated show ride film, Impact! and has taken part in numerous international space art workshops and exhibitions, including seminal sessions held in Iceland and the Soviet Union (where he was invited by the Soviet government to take part in the 30th anniversary celebration of the launch of Sputnik). His original paintings are in numerous private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Pushkin Museum (Moscow).

Reviews

[Library Queen]

Read til page 10 when I had to stop. Said the solar system started to form 5 billion years ago, and it took 50 million years for the sun to form, so it started about 4.5 billion years ago.

Now, my issue with that is 5 billion minus 50 million is 4.95 billion. Because a billion is a thousand millions. That's how math works.

Now we're dealing with numbers so huge and so far back it doesn't really matter if it was 5, 7, or 10 billion years ago. But that's a huge math mistake, and if something that simple was messed up in the book, what else could be messed up in there? Maybe nothing; maybe the rest is 100% accurate. But I'm not wasting my time reading it, wondering if they got that right or wrong too.

Not rating it because I didn't read the full thing. But this bugged my math/space nerd brain enough I had to right a review on it, so.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This engaging book, focusing on the Kuiper Belt and beyond, is entertaining, informative, and easy to read. Aimed at teens, it's enjoyable for adults as well. If you're interested in the solar system, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approachable enough for younger readers but also fascinating for grownups, this is a look at the edge of our Solar System. The science of space exploration has been moving so fast, that this book includes brand-new, very recently discovered information about our own backyard, including the shape of the Heliosphere (which should probably now be renamed). This short volume also includes beautiful and simple illustrations that make the more complicated concepts understandable for people with limited technical knowledge. It’s depressing to learn how the high distances make it unlikely that we’ll be able to explore the places the author discusses within our lifetime, but I look forward to learning all the new details that we’ll keep discovering. Written in a conversational way, I really enjoyed it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Lerner Publishing Group, Twenty-First Century Books ™!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Big Backyard is a short look at the outer reaches of our own solar system, drawing on the New Horizons mission to offer a new look at Pluto, the Kupiter Belt, and the Oort Cloud after a preliminary section on the solar system’s formation that explains why the distant backyard of the solar system is the way it is. Most of the interest for me came in the Pluto information, because it’s a seriously interesting little ice-ball in space. The author refers to it as a binary planet along with Charon, in a brazen dismissal of IAU orthodoxy. Pluto has a lot more going on than previously expected: it evidently still has an active core, one that’s possibly creating new mountains, and there’s reason to believe that a layer of liquid water exists under its crust. When it’s close to the sun, as it is now, it has a bit of atmosphere — enough for haze and winds. It’s presently moving further away from the Sun, and as it does its atmosphere will become frozen ice on the surface. All very interesting stuff! If you’re interested in the New Horizons mission itself, last year I read Chasing New Horizons, on the decades-long process of getting a proper Pluto survey done. Interestingly, the volume is illustrated with art, not photographs.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it started a tad slow, it picked up and opened a world of understanding for the solar system that works for the intended audience-- teens who have a curiosity about the solar system and understanding the ins and outs of what we knew, what we currently know, and what we have yet to explore.

The images and pictures create a well-rounded view in addition to the information itself that provides an avenue for basic questions without getting too academic or in the weeds for the hardcore nerds. It's just the right amount of information delivery.

"The solar system is like a single, large family. And to really understand and appreciate this family, it is necessary to discover where the family came from, what its origins are."

[Katherine Zimmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got half way into chapter two and then none of the math was adding up (page 20 discusses how Neptune has not made a full rotation around the sun since its discovery, which it actually officially did in 2011). It was then I went back to the publication data: this was originally published in 1947 and seemingly, has not been checked for updates or inaccuracies. It just has a new cover. Was super disappointed that someone would not take the care for accuracies especially as it is a science text.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential for all junior high and high school libraries, and I can even see young teens--and adults!--with a scientific bent reading it for pleasure. The illustrations, both NASA photos and computer graphics, are fantastic, and the information about planets, comets, the solar wind, the oort belt, and more, is clear and interesting. Highly recommended for all outer space fans.

[Matthew Panjikaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is a good book for those who have an interest in space and the solar system, and let's readers know more without overflowing them with info. Sometimes the book doesn't make a lot of sense, but it isn't enough to cause a lot of confusion

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information presented in a readable style. It is illustrated with numerous photos and artist's concepts. Back matter includes a glossary; a bibliography of books, magazines, and websites; and an index.

[CCPL Buzz]

RPD

[Morgan]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Jeffrey Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is short and sweet. It has fantastic diagrams and pictures to illustrate the explanations. Fun and educational book

[Lys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting topic but dry delivery.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how much I love reading things like this.

[Great Books]

This short-but-sweet nonfiction piece takes readers on a fact-filled adventure to the outer reaches of the Milky Way. Conversational and chock full of stunning, astrophotography, this whirlwind tour is perfect for aspiring astronomers.

Reviewer #6

[Atticus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at space, with a short bit of the history of astronomy before moving onto how planets are formed, Pluto, then the space beyond Pluto itself. It's easy to read and does not come across as a text book or dumbed down. The author touches on how many discoveries accredited to white European astronomers had been discovered many time before across the whole world, and that many of the astronomers who made big discoveries were able to do so because they were rich enough to either attend school or fund the studies themselves. There is also discussion of pseudo science without condescending attitude towards believers. With diagrams, a glossary, and resources for further learning, this book is a good jumping off point. I wasn't a fan of how every measurement was repeated in parenthesis in metric units because I personally found it distracting but it wasn't a deal breaker.