Vanderbei_Princeton_Orion nebulae.jpg Publishers Lunch, an insider’s newsletter in the world of publishing, reports that a book co-authored by Princeton Engineering professor Robert Vanderbei has been snatched up by National Geographic‘s book publishing arm.

The book by Vanderbei and Princeton astrophysicist J. Richard Gott is titled Sizing Up the Universe and according to Publishers Lunch, it "provides new scientific research into the massiveness of planets, stars, and galaxies using scaled maps, beautifully done photographs, and object comparisons to demonstrate actual size, from Buzz Aldrin’s historic footprint to the visible universe and beyond."

The image above, of the Orion Nebula, is by Vanderbei, who is chair of Princeton’s Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering and a researcher in probability and optimization.  Vanderbei pursues astrophotography as a hobby.