Galaxy Mapper: The Luminous Discoveries of Astrophysicist Hélène Courtois

Introducing our luminous address in the universe--and the determined woman scientist who mapped it with her team.

Growing up in a small French village, Hélène Courtois had big questions about the world around her. Avidly, she observed the trails, roads, and water pathways traversing planet Earth; but her mind always wandered higher, toward the night sky. What would a map of "out there," beyond the moon, look like? The question traveled with her to university, where curious Hélène--often the only woman in her science classes--learned to map the compositions of galaxies. Numbers swam with the stars in her brain, and after years of wonder and experimentation, Hélène and her team make a dazzling discovery--a supercluster of galaxies they name Laniakea, home to our very own Milky Way. With fascinating back matter, illustrations that shine on the page, and a lyrical text written in consultation with astrophysicist Hélène Courtois--who continues to illuminate our view of the cosmic landscape--this portrait of a contemporary female scientist will light up young minds and inspire future sky gazers and galaxy mappers to look up and dream large.