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 makes stars shine? Where does Earth's water come from? Why is the night sky dark? Was there ever life on Mars? How do telescopes work? This engaging guide book answers all these questions and hundreds more, making it a practical reference for anyone who has ever wondered what is out in the cosmos, where it all comes from, and how it all works. Richly illustrated in color throughout, it gives simple yet rigorous explanations in non-technical language, summarizing current astronomical knowledge, without overlooking the important underlying scientific principles. This second edition includes substantial new material throughout, including the latest findings from the New Horizons, Rosetta, and Dawn space missions, and images from professional telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.

Carol Christian is a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore. She is the Hubble Space Telescope Outreach Project Scientist, supporting the Hubble Space Telescope mission in all things regarding information for the media, educators and the general public. She also is a co-host of the Hubble Hangouts series held weekly and participates in a number of podcasts on iTunes. In previous years she was the Head of the Office of Public Outreach at STScI and established a number of internet educational and outreach initiatives.

Jean-René Roy is a retired astronomer who was professor at Université Laval, Québec from 1977 to 2000. Since then he has served as Deputy Director and Head of Science at the Gemini Observatory in Hawai'i and Chile, worked at the Large Facilities Office of the US National Science Foundation and finally at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore. He has carried out research on the Sun, the interstellar medium, and the evolution of gas-rich galaxies.