In this vibrant, eye-opening tour of milestones in the history of our universe, Chris Impey guides us through space and time, leading us from the familiar sights of the night sky to the dazzlingly strange aftermath of the Big Bang. What if we could look into space and see not only our place in the universe but also how we came to be here? As it happens, we can. Because it takes time for light to travel, we see more and more distant regions of the universe as they were in the successively greater past. Impey uses this concept "look-back time" to take us on an intergalactic tour that is simultaneously out in space and back in time. Performing a type of cosmic archaeology, Impey brilliantly describes the astronomical clues that scientists have used to solve fascinating mysteries about the origins and development of our universe. The milestones on this journey range from the nearby to the remote: we travel from the Moon, Jupiter, and the black hole at the heart of our galaxy all the way to the first star, the first ray of light, and even the strange, roiling conditions of the infant universe, an intense and volatile environment in which matter was created from pure energy. Impey gives us breathtaking visual descriptions and also explains what each landmark can reveal about the universe and its history. His lucid, wonderfully engaging scientific discussions bring us to the brink of modern cosmology and physics, illuminating such mind-bending concepts as invisible dimensions, timelessness, and multiple universes. A dynamic and unforgettable portrait of the cosmos, How It Began will reward its readers with a deeper understanding of the universe we inhabit as well as a renewed sense of wonder at its beauty and mystery."

Why is the Milky Way blue? Why isn't a black hole dark? How many stars can you see with your naked eye? How much hotter are blue stars than red ones?? Humans are the only known astronomers in the universe. When we look up at the night sky, we are linked to our ancestors. Away from city lights, we can see what generations of people before us have wondered at and weaved stories around. But all that will change. The Andromeda Galaxy is rushing towards us at 400,000 kilometres an hour. When Galaxies Collide will guide you to look at the night sky afresh. It peers 5.86 billion years into the future to consider the fate of Earth and its inhabitants. Will the solution be to live in space without a planet to call home? Will one of the other 100 billion planets spawn life? Learn how to watch this space.

The awe-inspiring Sunday Times Bestseller from astronaut Tim Peake Shortlisted for the British Book Award 2018 'Amazing . . . A brilliant book' Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2 Have you ever thought of becoming an astronaut? Ask an Astronaut is Tim Peake's personal guide to life in space, based on his historic Principia mission, and the thousands of questions he has been asked since his return to Earth. How does it feel to orbit the earth ten times faster than a speeding bullet? What's it like to eat, sleep and go to the toilet in space? And where to next - the moon, mars or beyond? From training to launch, historic spacewalk to re-entry, Tim has a fascinating answer to everything you ever wanted to know. He reveals for readers of all ages the extraordinary secrets, cutting-edge science, and everyday wonders of life onboard the International Space Station. 'Everything you ever wanted to know about life in space' Times

All the matter and light we can see in the universe makes up a trivial 5 per cent of everything. The rest is hidden. This could be the biggest puzzle that science has ever faced.

Since the 1970s, astronomers have been aware that galaxies have far too little matter in them to account for the way they spin around: they should fly apart, but something concealed holds them together. That ’something' is dark matter – invisible material in five times the quantity of the familiar stuff of stars and planets.

By the 1990s we also knew that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. Something, named dark energy, is pushing it to expand faster and faster. Across the universe, this requires enough energy that the equivalent mass would be nearly fourteen times greater than all the visible material in existence.

Brian Clegg explains this major conundrum in modern science and looks at how scientists are beginning to find solutions to it.

An introduction to the history of Western astronomy from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid nineteenth century. Emphasis is given to such topics as the merging of Babylonian and Greek astronomy in later Antiquity, Kepler's conversion of astronomy into a branch of dynamics, and the first explorations of the universe of stars.

Stenciled on many of the deactivated facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the evocative phrase "abandoned in place" indicates the structures that have been deserted. Some structures, too solid for any known method of demolition, stand empty and unused in the wake of the early period of US space exploration. Now Roland Miller's color photographs document the NASA, Air Force, and Army facilities across the nation that once played a crucial role in the space race. Rapidly succumbing to the elements and demolition, most of the blockhouses, launch towers, tunnels, test stands, and control rooms featured in Abandoned in Place are located at secure military or NASA facilities with little or no public access. Some have been repurposed, but over half of the facilities photographed no longer exist. The haunting images collected here impart artistic insight while preserving an important period in history.

From the author of "Celestial Sleuth" (2014), yet more mysteries in art, history, and literature are solved by calculating phases of the Moon, determining the positions of the planets and stars, and identifying celestial objects in paintings. In addition to helping to crack difficult cases, these studies spark our imagination and provide a better understanding of the skies. Weather archives, vintage maps, tides, historical letters and diaries, military records and the assistance of experts in related fields help with this work. For each historical event influenced by astronomy, there is a different kind of mystery to be solved. How did the changing tides affect an army's battle plans? How did the phases of the moon affect how an artist painted a landscape? Follow these exciting investigations with a master "celestial sleuth" as he tracks down the truth and helps unravel mysteries as far back as the Middle Ages and as recent as the iconic 1945 photograph of a kiss in Times Square on VJ Day. Topics or "cases" pursued were chosen for their wide public recognition and intrigue and involve artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet; historical events such as the campaigns of Braveheart in Scotland and battles in World War II and the Korean War; and literary authors such as Chaucer, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Byron, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Galileo, Newton, Herschel, Huggins, Hale, Eddington, Shapley and Hubble: these astronomers applied ideas drawn from physics to astronomy and made dramatic changes to the world-pictures that they inherited. They showed that celestial objects are composed of the same materials as the earth and that they behave in the same way. They displaced successively the earth, the sun and finally the milky way galaxy from being the centre of the universe.
This book contains their biographies and outlines their greatest discoveries. Hard work, physical insight, desire for fame and a strong belief in the rightness of their own ideas were characteristics of all eight. Their often quirky personalities led them into bitter controversies with their contemporaries. But their successes arose from the outstanding clarity of their thoughts, their practical ability and their strong sense of direction in science.

In The Infinite Cosmos Joseph Silk takes the reader on a tour of the universe, past, present, and future, showing how the very latest observations and theories are unlocking clues about its origin and structure: X-ray, radio, and high-energy views of space are revealing fossil radiation left over from the big bang and providing us with unprecedented views of the most distant reaches of the universe. Theories from the frontiers of current research seek to explain its structure from the first moments to the present day, and we are beginning to understand its extraordinary nature and possible fate. This is a story involving the visible and the invisible; subatomic particles and unusual forces; long ages of darkness and spectacular and violent events. It tells of supernovae, dark matter, dark energy, curved spacetime, colliding galaxies, and supermassive black holes. Weaving the ideas of poets and writers as well as scientists into the story, from Kant and Keats to Einstein and Lemaitre, Silk explains our present state of knowledge, and how much more there is to understand about our infinite cosmos.

When astronomers today look up at the night sky they picture a spectacular and infinite universe--full of pulsars, quasars, and black holes and ruled by arcane laws of space and time. Once, ancient astronomers looked up and saw only points of light tracing calm movements across the heavens. But they too were moved to wonder about the meaning of what they saw. In Astronomy through the Ages, Sir Robert Wilson tells the story of how our understanding of the universe has evolved through history--of how the sedate and stable star field of ancient times has been replaced by the vast and explosive universe we know today. Wilson, one of the most distinguished astronomers of the twentieth century, begins by tracing the astronomical studies of the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks and reviews important early contributions from India, China, and the Islamic world. He explains the development of the sun-centered model of the universe in Renaissance Europe. He then tells how the development of the telescope, photography, and spectroscopy pushed back the limits of the observable universe and eventually brought astronomy into the twentieth century. Finally, he describes the rapid advances in radio and space astronomy and other methods over the past fifty years that have ushered in a new "golden age" of astronomy. These advances have not only allowed observation of deep space but also enabled scientists to unlock the secrets of the universe itself from its origin to its possible fate. Wilson himself has played an important role in these discoveries as the developer of one of the most successful astronomical satellites ever launched, the International Ultraviolet Explorer. While focusing on the human side of astronomical discovery, Wilson also provides readers with a basic understanding of difficult concepts, explaining relativity and quantum mechanics without using technical language or mathematics. Remarkable in its scope and clarity,Astronomy through the Ages provides an accessible view of historical discoveries and modern advances and shows why excitement about astronomy is even greater today than when Galileo first gazed in wonder at the rings of Saturn. Originally published in 1998. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This is a substantially revised and updates new edition of a classic introductory textbook. Although there are a wealth of cosmology texts at postgraduate level, Cosmology remains the classic introduction to modern cosmology for undergraduates. While designed as the main text for a course given at second or third year level, it is sufficiently self-contained for anyone with school science to understand. There is a strong emphasis on observational cosmology, with introductory chapters on the visible universe, our galaxy and other galaxies and the empirical basis for cosmological theory. After an account of the big bang model, there are chapters on the early stages of the big bang and galaxy formation. Finally, there are chapters on cosmological tests and on alternative theories. One feature of the book it its updated epilogue of twenty controversies on cosmology today. The latest results from the WMAP mission are included and a wealth of new material, including a stronger emphasis on the cosmological constant. It has an extensive glossary and the exercises have been substantially expanded. A stronger emphasis on the physical basis for cosmology is included throughout.

Both novice and advanced skywatchers will value this comprehensive and easy-to-use guide to the brilliant and ever-changing sights of the southern sky by night. Readers are introduced to the many and varied objects in the sky and their movements and changing appearances, as well as the ancient myths and legends entwined around the groupings of stars. Featured in this book are two groups of sky charts, designed so that readers can move easily between them. The 24 skyviews show the appearance of the whole night sky every two weeks (or at each hour of sidereal time). The 20 sky charts show particular areas of the night sky in detail and are accompanied by explanatory text. This new edition also features: - digitally re-drawn skyviews, sky charts and map of the surface of the Moon - a table of planet positions up to 2017

Seit den alten Hochkulturen vor etwa 4000 Jahren haben die Sterne die Menschen fasziniert und diese sich bemuht, durch den Bau von Sternwarten mehr uber den Sternhimmel herauszufinden. In diesem Buch werden erstmals die 82 wichtigsten Sternwarten von Stonehenge bis in unsere Zeit vorgestellt. Einem kurzen Begleittext zu jeder Sternwarte sind jeweils farbige Fotographien sowie - vor allem bei den alteren Observatorien - Grundrisszeichnungen an die Seite gestellt. Somit ist dieser Bildband nicht nur eine Fundgrube fur den Berufs- und Hobbyastronomen, sondern auch eine baugeschichtlich und kulturhistorisch hoechst interessante Bilddokumentation des mit einem wissenschaftlichen Zweck unmittelbar verbundenen "Gebaudetypus Sternwarte".

An encapsulation in nine numbers of all that modern astronomy has learnt about the universe. These cosmic numbers appear to be independent characteristics of our universe and include its age, the Hubble constant (a measure of its rate of expression), and the density of matter in the universe. Only one of the nine numbers is known with real precision, and four of them only poorly known. Difficult ideas like the origin of the elements, the General Theory of Relativity, quantum theory, and the standard model of particle physics, ideas which underpin modern cosmology, are explained in a simple way. While most of what we know has been learnt during the 20th century, Rowan-Robinson provides a historical perspective, paying homage to the achievements of the Greeks, Renaissance astronomers, and the age of Newton. The book ends with predictions of when all nine numbers will be accurately known.

The universe contains many unusual sights and sounds, most of which are either very difficult to witness or simply go unnoticed. With the right tools, time, and location, some of the often talked about but seldom seen and heard gems in our skies can finally be observed. This book introduces readers to the rare and ephemeral happenings above our heads. It offers a crash course in astronomical history, detailing the observations, assumptions, and inventions of different cultures over time as they turned their studies to the stars. Using this as a baseline to redefine truly "rare" occurrences, Jonathan Powell then provides modern-day astronomers at all levels with pointers for what they can witness and when. From phenomena as old and far-off as a supernova witnessed a thousand years ago, and as recent and nearby as Sputnik's famous beeping, this book covers everything that one must know to see, hear, and appreciate the astronomical events happening around us.

What was our planet like in years past? How has our civilization affected Earth and its ecology? Harvesting Space for a Greener Planet, the Second Edition of Paradise Regained: The Regreening of the Earth, begins by discussing these questions, and then generates a scenario for the restoration of Earth. It introduces new and innovative ideas on how we could use the Solar System and its resources for terrestrial benefit. The environmental challenges that face us today cannot be resolved by conservation and current technologies alone. Harvesting Space highlights the risk of humankind's future extinction from environmental degradation. Population growth, global climate change, and maintaining sustainability of habitats for wildlife are all considered, among other issues. Rather than losing heart, we need to realize that the solutions to these problems lie in being good stewards of the planet and in the development of space. Not only will the solutions offered here avert a crisis, they will also provide the basis for continued technological and societal progress. Tapping the resources of near-Earth asteroids will lead to methods of diverting those asteroids that threaten Earth. Space-based terrestrial power generation systems will work synergistically with Earth-based conservation. This book needs to be read urgently and widely, if we are to save ourselves from environmental disaster, reduce the risk of catastrophic cosmic impacts, and build a prosperous and sustainable future for all the creatures of Earth.

"Almost fifty years after the beginning of space flight, Belbruno's work offers a realistic beginning for minimum--fuel and maximum--payload trajectories for interplanetary operations. It is a mark of sophistication in the evolution of space travel that simplified solutions to the vexing many-body problem are found to have practical applications. Belbruno's three-body solution for low-thrust minimum-fuel trajectories serves well not only the future of space flight but helps astronomy in understanding the sometimes erratic motions of celestial bodies."--Edgar D. Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut

""Fly Me to the Moon" is a fast, easy read that explains in simple nonscientific terms very complex matters of celestial mechanics, and it is delightful reading for students and professionals to update or learn very important new background materials. It is also a must-read for the lawyer-scientist."--Ambassador Edward R. Finch, Jr.

"This is an excellent book. The author succeeds in writing an exciting story about his research on low-fuel space travel, a subject that is not widely known but that will interest many readers. Moreover, the mathematical aspects of chaos in the context of space missions is well treated at the level of the nonexpert."--Florin Diacu, University of Victoria

"This is a good story. It is rare to see a nonpedantic book on celestial mechanics that gives some backroom stories about trajectory geeks. Belbruno ties very abstract concepts to real problems and situations."--Wendell W. Mendell, NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science Directorate

"This is an excellent book. It is an inside look at the important new field of chaotictrajectories by one of the masters and originators of the field. As we continue into space, I think we will be hearing more and more about these clever trajectories. Ed Belbruno has covered in a beautiful and interesting way the important applications of chaos to astrophysics and spacecraft trajectories. He also tells a very interesting personal story of his battles to get these trajectories used, and how he was able to save the Hiten spacecraft and get it to the moon. This is a great story, and he tells it very well."--Richard Gott, Princeton University

"The author's newly discovered interplanetary highways offer a romantic reflection of the pre-rocket, pre-airplane era, where balloons would transport us, with hardly any energy of our own, from one unexplored vista to another."--From the foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History, author of "Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries"

Die allgemeine Vorstellung vom Anblick Ausschoepfung des vollen Informationsgehal- kann vielleicht das im Anhang beigegebene des Himmels jenseits der Reichweite des tes der Originalplatten im Prozess der fotogra- Glossar nutzlich sein. Als Masseinheiten wur- menschlichen Auges wurde entscheidend fischen Reproduktion aus. Hier kommt eine den im allgemeinen die in der Fachastrono- gepragt durch die noch vor der Jahrhun- neuartige Dunkelkammertechnik zur Wir- mie ublichen gewahlt, notwendige Erklarun- dertwende durch E. E. Bernard und M. Wolf kung, die W. Hoegner, Fotografenmeister am gen gibt ebenfalls das Glossar. Karl-Schwarzschild-Observatorium, in jahre- Unser Dank gilt den ungenannten Mitar- entstandenen fotografischen Aufnahmen. Beide setzten an Stelle der eigentlichen astro- langem Experimentieren entwickeln konnte. beitern des Karl-Schwarzschild-Observato- nomischen Teleskope kleine, aus der pro- Als Ordnungsprinzip fur die dargestellten riums, die im Rahmen ihrer Beobachtungsta- fessionellen Fotografie ubernommene Por- Objekte wurde deren Stellung am Himmel, tigkeit die Aufnahmen anfertigten, unter tratobjektive fur ihre Arbeiten ein. Die Auf- genauer die Rektaszensionskoordinate, ge- denen wir unsere >Himmelsfotografien aus- nahmen zeichneten sich dementsprechend wahlt (Koordinatenangaben erfolgen grund- gewahlt haben. Insbesondere sind wir Herrn durch die grosse Ausdehnung des abgebil- satzlich mit dem AEquinoktium 2000,0). W. Hoegner, Tautenburg, dankbar, ohne des- deten Areals der Himmelssphare aus. Das Um den Bildern einen Rahmen zu geben sen Mitarbeit und hervorragende Leistung und im Versuch, die wissenschaftliche Be- dieses Buch nicht moeglich gewesen ware.

Could Einstein have possibly anticipated directly testing the most captivating prediction of general relativity, that there exist isolated pockets of spacetime shielded completely from our own? Now, almost a century after that theory emerged, one of the world's leading astrophysicists presents a wealth of recent evidence that just such an entity, with a mass of about three million suns, is indeed lurking at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way--in the form of a supermassive ''black hole''

With this superbly illustrated, elegantly written, nontechnical account of the most enigmatic astronomical object yet observed, Fulvio Melia captures all the excitement of the growing realization that we are on the verge of actually seeing this exotic object within the next few years.

Melia traces our intellectual pilgrimage to the ''brooding behemoth'' at the heart of the Milky Way. He describes the dizzying technological advances that have recently brought us to the point of seeing through all the cosmic dust to a dark spot in a clouded cluster of stars in the constellation Sagittarius. Carefully assembling the compelling circumstantial evidence for its black hole status, he shows that it is primed to reveal itself as a glorious panorama of activity within this decade--through revolutionary images of its ''event horizon'' against the bright backdrop of nearby, radiating gas.

Uniquely, this book brings together a specific and fascinating astronomical subject--black holes--with a top researcher to provide both amateur and armchair astronomers, but also professional scientists seeking a concise overview of the topic, a real sense of the palpable thrill in the scientific community when an important discovery is imminent.

This book introduces the Martian simulations of The Mars Society, the first one installed on Devon Island, an uninhabited island in the Canadian Arctic, well within the polar circle, and the second in the desert of Utah, several hundreds of kilometers South of Salt Lake City. The book is based on the diaries held during the simulations, by Vladimir Pletser, a physicist-engineer, who was selected to participate in these simulations. It relates the details of everyday life in these Martian habitats and of the scientific and exploratory work conducted in these extreme environments in preparation for future manned missions to Mars. Through the real experiences described in the book, readers will find space explorations and living on Mars more tangible.

The fascinating story of how NASA sent humans to explore outer space, told through a treasure trove of documents from the NASA archives Among all the technological accomplishments of the last century, none has captured our imagination more deeply than the movement of humans into outer space. From Sputnik to SpaceX, the story of that journey is told as never before in The Penguin Book of Outer Space Exploration. Renowned space historian John Logsdon has uncovered the most fascinating items in the NASA archive and woven them together with expert narrative guidance to create a history of how Americans got to space and what they've done there. Beginning with rocket genius Wernher von Braun's vision for voyaging to Mars and closing with Elon Musk's contemporary plan to get there, this volume traces major events like the founding of NASA, the first American astronauts in space, the moon landings, the Challenger disaster, the daring Hubble Telescope repairs and more.

"Das erklarte Universum" ist eine anschauliche, laiengerechte und begeisternde Einfuhrung in die heutigen Kenntnisse der Astronomie und Kosmologie. Mit neuesten Farbbildern des leistungsfahigsten Teleskops der Welt bietet das Buch einen farbenprachtigen Blick auf unser Universum. Malcolm Longair nimmt uns mit auf eine atemberaubende Reise hin zu Entdeckungen, die Forscher uber die Geburt der Sterne, auf der Jagd nach schwarzen Lochern und dunkler Masse, bei Beobachtungen mit Gravitationslinsen und neuesten Tests im Zusammenhang mit dem Urknall gemacht haben. Der Leser lernt die wesentlichen Fragen, die sich die zukunftige Weltraumforschung stellen und die sie beantworten muss, verstehen.

Black holes are a constant source of fascination to many due to their mysterious nature. In this Very Short Introduction, Katherine Blundell addresses a variety of questions, including what a black hole actually is, how they are characterized and discovered, and what would happen if you came too close to one. She explains how black holes form and grow - by stealing material that belongs to stars, as well as how many there may be in the Universe. She also explores the large black holes found in the centres of galaxies, and how black holes give rise to quasars and other spectacular phenomena in the cosmos. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.