Space… The Final Frontier.

It’s Space Exploration Day in the U.S. so we thought we would take a swim amongst the stars and visit some of our most popular astronomical titles.

Andy Weir‘s The Martian, recently a film starring Matt Damon follows the journey of an astronaut stranded on Mars attempting to survive long enough to get home.

I’m stranded on Mars.
I have no way to communicate with Earth.
I’m in a Habitat designed to last 31 days.
If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death.
So yeah. I’m screwed.

In An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, Colonel Chris Hadfield shows us how to make the impossible possible… and he rocks a mean David Bowie impression too!

Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4,000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane, been temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft, and become a YouTube sensation with his performance of David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ in space. The secret to Chris Hadfield’s success — and survival — is an unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: prepare for the worst — and enjoy every moment of it. In his book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, Chris Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible.

Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement — and happiness. His own extraordinary education in space has taught him some counter-intuitive lessons: don’t visualize success, do care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff. You might never be able to build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, make a music video or perform basic surgery in zero gravity like Colonel Hadfield. But his vivid and refreshing insights in this book will teach you how to think like an astronaut, and will change, completely, the way you view life on Earth — especially your own.

Go an a galactic thrill ride with Space: The Definitive Visual Guide. Featuring the latest research and technology it’s a great resource for any cosmic couch potato.

Hundreds of incredible images take you on a spectacular tour through space, from Earth to the known limits of the Universe in this spectacular guide. Features the latest cutting-edge research and ideas about space, what’s out there, how it all began, and where it may end . Unlock the secrets of space with clear, illustrated explanations of dark matter, black holes, and other awe-inspiring phenomena. Discover how and why today’s scientists probe vast and distant realms, and understand our planets place in the cosmos.