A Question and Answer Guide to Astronomy

Are we alone in the Universe? Was there anything before the Big Bang? Are there other universes? What are sunspots? What is a shooting star? Was there ever life on Mars? This book answers the fascinating questions that we have been asking ourselves for hundreds of years. Using non-technical language, the authors summarize current astronomical knowledge, taking care to include the important underlying scientific principles. Plentiful color illustrations, graphs and photographs lend further weight to their simple yet meticulously written explanations. An extensive bibliography allows you to pursue or recap on the subjects that rouse your particular interest. Dip in to discover and learn fascinating facts about our Solar System and the Universe beyond!

Pierre-Yves Bely is an engineer specializing in the design and construction of large optical telescopes. He was Chief Engineer for the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, has worked on the Hubble Space Telescope and the design of its successor.

Carol Christian is an astrophysicist and Deputy of the Community Missions Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute. In addition to technical and outreach support of NASA missions, she is a collaborator on the Google Sky and World Wide Telescope projects for exploration of the sky on the internet.

Jean-René Roy is an astrophysicist specializing in the evolution of galaxies and the formation of massive stars. He is Deputy Director of the Gemini Observatory, which hosts two of the largest telescopes in the world, one in Hawaii and the other in Chile.