Synopsis
With a foreword by the author of Galileo's Daughter, this is an awe-inspiring, majestic account of the ultimate journey a 13.7 billion-light-year voyage from our home planet to the edge of the universe and the beginning of time
The magnificent vault of stars emblazoning Earth’s night skies are but an infinitesimal fraction of the hundreds of billions that inhabit our galaxy and there are at least as many galaxies in the universe as there are stars in the Milky Way. This collection of images of staggering beauty makes sense of this dizzying celestial panorama by exploring it one step at a time, illustrating the planets, moons, stars, nebulae, white dwarfs, black holes, and other exotica that populate the heavens, with some of science's most spectacular photographs. The book opens with an orbital survey of planet Earth, before venturing into the solar system heading for interstellar space and the heart of our galaxy. As the journey unfolds, the rhythms of stellar life emerge: we pass through dark clouds of dust and gas ablaze with newly smelted stars and we witness dying stars bloom and fade as planetary nebulae, or tear themselves apart as supernovae. Having crossed the Milky Way, we enter intergalactic space, where we watch the hidden lives of galaxies: we see them flock and cluster, forming massive conglomerations that span millions of light years, visibly warping space with their tremendous gravity. After covering an almost unimaginable 13.7 billion light years, we approach the edge of space and the dawn of time where our voyage must end, but not before we consider how the universe was born, and how it might die.
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About the Author
AUTHOR
Giles Sparrow studied astronomy at University College, London, and science communication at Imperial College before embarking on a career as an author. Since then, he has written and co-written a number of bestselling books on popular science and astronomy, including Hubble: Window on the Universe.
INTRODUCTION
Dava Sobel is the bestselling author of (among many other books) the international blockbusters Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter, and The Planets.
Review
"Everything about COSMOS seems designed to inspire galactic awe—from its black satin covers to its star-sparkly slipcase. But its the rich 13" by 17" photographs inside that will hypnotize you. . . If you've got an aspiring space traveler in the family, this could be the ultimate gift" —Ron Charles, The Washington Post
“Cosmos is a stunning survey of our universe, starting with Earth, proceeding through its solar-system neighbors and circling outward into galaxies, black holes and, well, infinity and beyond, as Buzz Lightyear would say. Awe-inspiring."—Seattle Times
"Blending fascinating facts about the latest developments in cosmic exploration with lush, large-format photography, Cosmos offers a new window into our universe."—Parade
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