From one of the most acclaimed science writers comes a dramatic narrative of the discovery of the true nature and startling size of the universe, delving into the decades of work--by a select group of scientists--that made it possible.

When a rainstorm prevents Nancy and her best friend, Robert, from getting to the planetarium the night of a class field trip, she has a brilliant idea for making things better.

"We've all asked ourselves the question. Looking up at the night sky, it's almost impossible NOT to wonder: Are we alone in the universe? In [this book], Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely a jumping-off point. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Dr. Wall, is only drawing closer). From the unexpected--do...

In exhilarating and behind-the-scenes detail, Panek takes his readers on a tour of the bitter rivalries and fruitful collaborations, the eureka moments and blind alleys, that have fuelled the search, redefined science, and reinvented the universe. Science journalist Panek (The Invisible Century) offers an insider's view of the quest for what could be the ultimate revelation: the true substance of the unseen dark matter and energy that makes up some...

"In this groundbreaking book, world-renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tackles the world's thorniest philosophical conundrums, armed with wit, wisdom, and cutting-edge science. Together with distinguished physicist James Trefil, Tyson presents questions that have preoccupied humanity for millennia. Then, using the latest theories, from the Big Bang to string theory and the multiverse, he explores the answers, bolstered with stunning images...

"Sixty-six million years ago, an object the size of a city descended from space to crash into Earth, creating a devastating cataclysm that killed off the dinosaurs, along with three-quarters of the other species on the planet. What was its origin? In Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, Lisa Randall proposes it was a comet that was dislodged from its orbit as the Solar System passed through a disk of dark matter embedded in the Milky Way. In a sense, it...

An illness cursing the land forces seventeen-year-old Vega, the Last Astronomer, to venture across the wilderness to discover the stars message that will save her people.

Neil deGrasse Tyson has a talent for guiding audiences through the mysteries of outer space with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays that he wrote for Natural History magazine across a myriad of cosmic topics, from astral life at the frontiers of astrobiology to the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right. Tyson introduces us to the physics of black holes by explaining the...

The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly inimical to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the pressures of constant close cohabitation;...

At the heart of our galaxy lies a monster so deadly it can bend space, throwing vast jets of radiation millions of light years out into the cosmos. Its kind were the very first inhabitants of the universe, the black holes. Join Professors Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw in exploring our universe's most mysterious inhabitants, how they are formed, why they are essential components of every galaxy, including our own, and what secrets they still hold, waiting...