Product Description

This illustrated encyclopedia sets out to explain how the Universe works and to describe every feature. It covers the discovery and explanation of the universe from the Ancient Greeks - who thought that the night literally had a thousand eyes sewn onto a mantle by the celestial nightwatchman Argos - up to the present day understanding of black holes, worm holes and the theoretical development of time machines. The book is designed to bring all the history and concepts to life providing an up to date explanation of how the universe works. The book is divided into eight main chapters: Explore the Universe; History of Astronomy; Laws of Time and Space; Quantum Mechanics; The Past, Present and Future of the Universe; What's in the Universe and Watching the Sky; Space Exploration; and a Reference Section.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1057781 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

About the Author
Sir Martin Rees is one of the world's leading astrophysicists and cosmologists. He is the Royal ociety Research Profeesor at CXambridge and Britain's Astronomer Royale. Ian Ridpath is author of a wide range of astronomy books, including the astonomer bibe - Norton's Star Atlas - and the bestselling Collins Pocket Guide to Stars and Planets

Customer Reviews

Magnificent
Manages to be very informative for the novice without talking down to the more informed reader, and convey the majesty and wonder of astronomy while still staying grounded in hard science. The section on the history of astronomy is particularly well-produced - it's too easy to laugh at earlier theories of the universe while forgetting that our own current theories are still hotly debated.

Visually the book is a treat, too - the text is well-spaced and broken up with numerous sidebars and illustrations.

A must-buy for anyone with the slightest interest in astronomy or the way the universe works.