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Cosmological Enigmas

Pulsars, Quasars, and Other Deep-Space Questions

Mark Kidger

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The universe is big. Really big. And it gets bigger every day. In Cosmological Enigmas, Mark Kidger weaves together history, science, and science fiction to consider questions about the bigness of space and the strange objects that lie trembling at the edge of infinity.

What are quasars, blazars, and gamma-ray bursters? Could we ever travel to the stars? Can we really expect aliens to contact us? From the profound (what evidence do we have to support the big bang theory?) to the bizarre (can there be more than one universe and, if so, how many dimensions does it possess?) to the everyday-yet...

The universe is big. Really big. And it gets bigger every day. In Cosmological Enigmas, Mark Kidger weaves together history, science, and science fiction to consider questions about the bigness of space and the strange objects that lie trembling at the edge of infinity.

What are quasars, blazars, and gamma-ray bursters? Could we ever travel to the stars? Can we really expect aliens to contact us? From the profound (what evidence do we have to support the big bang theory?) to the bizarre (can there be more than one universe and, if so, how many dimensions does it possess?) to the everyday-yet-profound (why is the sky dark at night?), Kidger explains not only what we know but how we came to know it. Reflecting on how stars shine and what may lie beyond the edge of the universe, Kidger takes us on the ultimate cosmic journey.

Reviews

Reviews

The ideas of the sciences flow together smoothly, interwoven with personal reminiscences and observations. Highly recommended.

Provides an excellent introduction to the rapidly changing fields of cosmology, stellar astrophysics, and galactic studies.

A mix of standard astronomy lessons and some wonderful analogies, bring concepts that can be truly mind boggling closer to home... Kidger's explanations often sparkle with interesting 'I didn't know that' factoids... The book is truly a conversation between astronomer and reader, illuminating the 'Big Questions' in astronomy with a down-to-earth approach.

Easily accessible to the nonspecialist.

It is always a pleasure to read a book that is written by someone who has such a passion for the subject... The overall impression is of a book that is worthy of inclusion in any bookcase. On a final note, it has a superbly designed and eye-catching dust jacket!

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
7
x
9.25
Pages
272
ISBN
9780801893353
Illustration Description
46 color photos, 8 line drawings
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. How Are Stars Born and How Do They Die?
2. How Do We Know That Black Holes Exist?
3. Who Is the Strangest in the Cosmic Zoo?
4. How Far Is It to the Stars and Will We Ever

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. How Are Stars Born and How Do They Die?
2. How Do We Know That Black Holes Exist?
3. Who Is the Strangest in the Cosmic Zoo?
4. How Far Is It to the Stars and Will We Ever Be Able to Travel to Them?
5. How Old Is the Universe?
6. Is Anybody There?
7. How Will the Universe End?
8. Why Is the Sky Dark at Night?
9. How Do We Know There Was a Big Bang?
10. What Is There Outside the Universe?
Notes
Index

Author Bio
Featured Contributor

Mark Kidger

Mark Kidger is an astronomer at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid. He is the author of Astronomical Enigmas: Life on Mars, the Star of Bethlehem, and Other Milky Way Mysteries, also published by Johns Hopkins.