Cosmos Close-Up - Hardcover

Sparrow, Giles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0857383450 ISBN 13: 9780857383457

Publisher: Quercus, 2011

Synopsis

Using a wealth of high-resolution images collected by a fleet of telescopes, satellites and inter-planetary probes, Cosmos Close-up embarks on a voyage across the universe, pausing only to zoom in on the most spectacular planets, stars, galaxies and nebulae. After a fly past of our planetary neighbours we reach the edge of the solar system - a mere 15 light hours away - emerging into interstellar space and heading for the heart of our galaxy. The rhythms of stellar life unfold before our eyes: dark clouds of dust and gas blaze with clusters newly smelted stars, dying stars bloom and fade as planetary nebulae, or tear themselves apart as supernovae. Navigating through thick swarms of stars, we reach the galactic core, a gravitational maelstrom of exotic stars in the thrall of a supermassive black hole. Hundreds of thousands of light years must be covered to reach the Milky Way's companions, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, and millions more devoured before we cross true intergalactic space. Out here we watch the hidden lives of galaxies: we see them locked in gravitational combat, tearing each other apart or swallowing their companions whole. Now billions of light years from Earth, we can discern the large-scale structure of the universe: massive conglomerations of galaxies gather like grains of dust on a veil of cobwebs, warping space with their tremendous gravity. Having crossed an almost unimaginable 13.4 billion light years, we encounter a wall of radiation. Here our voyage into the cosmos must finally end, for we have reached the very edge of the visible universe: what stands before us is the afterglow of the Big Bang itself.

About this title

About the Author

Giles Sparrow studied Astronomy at University College London, and works as an editor specializing in popular science. He is the author of - amongst other books - The Genius Test, The Universe and How To See It, The Stargazer's Handbook and Hubble: Window on the Universe and was a major contributor to Dorling Kindersley's Universe.

From the Back Cover

From our own planet Earth to the edge of the Universe, discover the wonders of the cosmos in stunning close-up.

From the Inside Flap

Cosmos Close-Up is a unique guide to the most awe-inspiring sights of the Universe - in beautiful panoramas and in stunning close-up.
Witness breathtaking, state-of-the-art pictures of the inhospitable terrain, ice storms and raging volcanoes of our nearest planetary neighbours. Using the most dramatic views that modern technology has to offer, these superbly detailed images also reveal the astonishing beauty of the rings of Saturn, the faces of Jupiter's many moons and even the fiery heart of the Sun itself.
As we explore our galaxy and beyond, dramatic high magnification pictures zoom in on some of the Milky Way's most iconic structures such as Orion's Horsehead Nebula, the Cat's Eye and the Pillars of Creation. Watch as newly formed stars blaze in dark clouds of gas, blooming and fading as planetary nebulae, or tearing themselves apart as supernovae. Finally, in the furthest reaches of the cosmos, the Hubble Space Telescope's latest deep space images reveal mysterious phenomena - Einstein rings, dark energy and ancient galaxies - that may unlock the secrets to the size, shape and origins of our Universe itself.
With Giles Sparrow's expert commentary alongside over 300 of the very latest space images, Cosmos Close-Up is the most innovative and up-to-date guide to the drama and astonishing details of our Universe.

Edition details

• Publisher: Quercus
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0857383450
• ISBN 13: 9780857383457
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320