The galaxy cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745, part of the Hubble Frontier Fields programme, as imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. Image credit: NASA, ESA and the HST Frontier Fields team (STScI).

Top 10 Gifts For Lovers Of Outer Space

With gift ideas from as little as $11, there might be something to tickle anyone’s fancy.

Ethan Siegel
9 min readDec 15, 2016

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“It is worthy of notice that in Table VI the brighter variables have the longer periods. It is also noticeable that those having the longest periods appear to be as regular in their variations as those which pass through their changes in a day or two.” -Henrietta Leavitt

The past year has been filled with victories, defeats, and all the other ups and downs that life holds for all of us. But while all of that has occurred down here on Earth’s surface, the Universe has been continuing on just as it always has. From our tiny blue dot in the vast cosmic ocean, we look out at it, explore it, and strive to understand it. In a very real way, our pursuit of understanding what lies beyond our world gives us a unique window into understanding ourselves. For those of you who either feel that way yourself or know someone who does, I’ve got 10 different options, covering a wide range of ages and budgets, of what just might be the perfect gift to take them into the new year!

The cover (L) and a page inside (R) of the book Light. Image credit: Arcand and Watzke, Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers.

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Ethan Siegel
Starts With A Bang!

The Universe is: Expanding, cooling, and dark. It starts with a bang! #Cosmology Science writer, astrophysicist, science communicator & NASA columnist.