United States
£ GBP
Providing an in-depth understanding both for general readers and astronomy enthusiasts, this highly comprehensive book provides an up-to-date survey of our knowledge of the Universe beyond Earth. A Journey Through the Universe explores our Solar System, its planets and other bodies; examines the Sun and how it and other stars evolve through their lifetimes; discusses the search for planets beyond our Solar System and how we might detect life on them; and highlights interesting objects found within our galaxy, the Milky Way. It also looks at our current understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe, as well as many other intriguing topics, such as time, black holes and Einstein's theories, dark matter, dark energy and the Cosmic Microwave Background. A Journey Through the Universe is uniquely supported by video lectures given by the author, available online. It also includes the very latest astronomical observations, such as those made by the Planck and Kepler spacecraft.
1. Watchers of the skies
2. Our Sun
3. Aspects of our Solar System
4. The rocky planets
5. The hunt for Planet X
6. Voyages to the outer planets
7. Harbingers of doom
8. Impact!
9. 400 years of the telescope
10. The family of stars
11. Aging stars
12. The search for other worlds
13. Are we alone? The search for life beyond the Earth
14. Our island Universe
15. Wonders of the southern sky
16. Proving Einstein right
17. Black holes – no need to be afraid
18. It's about time
19. Hubble's heritage – the astronomer and the telescope that honours his name
20. The violent Universe
21. The invisible Universe: dark matter and dark energy
22. The afterglow of creation
23. To infinity and beyond
Index
Ian Morison spent his professional career as a radio astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, and he has had an asteroid named in his honour in recognition for his work. In 2007 he was appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, the oldest chair of astronomy in the world. He writes a monthly online sky guide and audio podcast for the Jodrell Bank Observatory and is the author of numerous articles for the astronomical press and of a university astronomy textbook. His most recent book is An Amateur's Guide to Observing and Imaging the Heavens (2014).
"It would be hard to find a clearer and more balanced survey of what we know about the cosmos – from the Solar System, out to the remotest galaxies."
– Martin Rees, University of Cambridge
"[...] copiously illustrated [...] [and] attractively presented for easy reading. [...] I recommend it heartily to all Gamow devotees and anyone else who wants to have an up-to-date [...] awareness of what is known, and what remains mysterious, about the Universe."
– Colin Cooke, The Observatory
