Astronomy's Limitless Journey : A Guide to Understanding the Universe / Günther Hasinger.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hasinger, Günther, Author.

Contributor:

De Gruyter.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cosmology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (248 pages) : 32 color and 23 black and white illustrations

Contained In:

De Gruyter Plus.

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press, [2015]

Language Note:

In English.

System Details:

Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.

text file PDF

Summary:

When observing the sky on a very clear, dark night, the soft glow of the Milky Way with its thousands of stars can be seen with the naked eye. Over the centuries since Galileo Galilei first pointed a telescope at the galaxy in 1609, this awe-inspiring yet easily visible panorama was our cosmos, our celestial world. With each new scientific discovery, however, this cosmos has grown dramatically, increasing rapidly over the last several decades. As we look deeper into space, the earlier phases of the cosmos are unveiled to us, but we know that even with the largest telescopes, we will see only a tiny fraction of the vast expanse of the universe. In Astronomy's Limitless Journey, astrophysicist Günther Hasinger takes the reader on a journey to the far reaches of the universe-an exciting time travel that begins with the incredibly hot fireball of the Big Bang roughly 13.8 billion years ago and ends in distant eons with its cold, dark demise. In between lie the times in which extensive structures, galaxies, stars, and planets form. As the field of astrophysics and cosmology experiences a "golden age" due to larger telescopes, faster computers, and more sophisticated algorithms, fundamental changes are taking place in our understanding of space and time and of the origin and future of our universe. Hasinger thoroughly explains these fascinating revelations and describes the methods utilized in modern astrophysics. He cautions, however, that the boundaries between knowledge and ignorance shift constantly; where our knowledge is so incomplete such that we can only speculate, the journey becomes shaky. Indeed, every new discovery opens a further door to the unknown and with every answered question, we discover more locked doors still to be opened.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

Chapter One. The Dark Side of the Universe

Chapter Two. The Big Bang

Chapter Three. Clearing Up

Chapter Four. The Cosmic Web of Galaxies

Chapter Five. Star Formation

Chapter Six. Wanderers in the Sky

Chapter Seven. The Stellar Cemetery

Chapter Eight. Cosmic Monsters

Chapter Nine. The Destiny of the Universe

Chapter Ten. And What about God?

Appendix

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 02. Mrz 2022)

ISBN:

9780824853631

OCLC:

930010671

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.