Past Members in the School of Natural Sciences Robert J. Vanderbei (2019–20) and Michael A. Strauss (1991–95), along with Neil deGrasse Tyson and J. Richard Gott, have authored a unique journey into the cosmos titled Welcome to the Universe in 3D: A Visual Tour, the fourth in a series of astrophysical tours from Princeton University Press.
The first in the series—a New York Times bestseller originally published in 2016, which later spawned a pocket-sized version and a companion book—now has this exciting new follow-up with an incredible feature. Using a stereo viewer that folds out of the cover, the book presents a dazzling array of 3D astronomical imagery, along with explanations and cutting-edge observations.
Inspired by the overwhelmingly popular Princeton introductory astronomy course taught by Tyson, Strauss, and Gott, the book covers all the wonders of the universe: from planets and stars, to wormholes and time travel—now enhanced with stunning stereoscopic astrophotography.
Vanderbei, Professor at Princeton University, provided his expertise in astrophysics to this new 3D edition. While at the Institute, Vanderbei worked on designing high-contrast imaging coronagraphs to enable direct imaging of exoplanets and finding new stable periodic solutions to the n-body problem. In 2017, he won the Khachiyan Prize for his work in optimization.
Watch Neil deGrasse Tyson present the book on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
