Product Description

In the past, they were recognized as the most destructive force in nature. Now, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, supermassive black holes have undergone a dramatic shift in paradigm. Astronomers are finding out that these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation, planets, and even life itself. They may have contributed as much as half of all the radiation produced after the Big Bang, and as many as 200 million of them may now be lurking through the vast expanses of the observable cosmos. In this elegant, non-technical account, Melia conveys for the general reader the excitement generated by the quest to expose what these giant distortions in the fabric of space and time have to say about our origin and ultimate destiny.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #701359 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 158 pages

Review
‘Il libro di Fulvio Melia è … un volumetto agile, ricco d’illustrazioni, in stile assolutamente divulgativo, ma con molti spunti originali e interessanti.’ le Stelle

‘… an interesting insight into the story of black hole research during the last few decades … A recommended read.’ Astronomy Now

'Melia is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona and there is no doubt that he knows what he is talking about.' Journal of the British Astronomical Association

About the Author
Fulvio Melia is Professor of Astronomy and Associate Head of Physics at the University of Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Great Show!
Last week I was fortunate to hear Prof. Melia speak on the subject of his two new books, this title, and "The Black Hole at the Centre of Our Galaxy," and was so impressed I rushed out to get copies of both. I was not disappointed. Both books are very well written, and beautifully produced, with color images throughout. His style is similar to that with which he presented the subject at our amateur astronomy meeting---clear, lively, and thoughtful.
I am recommending these to all my friends and relatives. They're the best astronomy books I've read in years, and am looking forward to reading more from him in the years to come!

A must read
This is an exciting book for just about anyone interested in astronomy.
First of all I'd like to express all my admiration, the book is really
wonderfully written, witty, elegant, always
crystal clear and never boring, a real pleasure for the
mind. Second of all it's a real surprise to see how close
astronomers are to understanding black holes. Since things
are changing so fast, does the author plan on writing an updated
edition soon? It seems that a new edition would be necessary
in a few years.