Hubble: Window on the Universe - Hardcover

Sparrow, Giles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 184916486X ISBN 13: 9781849164863

Publisher: Quercus Publishing, 2010

Synopsis

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has been taking stunning images of space for 20 years. It is one of the largest and most versatile space telescopes and its orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to take extremely sharp images with almost no background light. As an observatory in space, Hubble is one of the most successful scientific projects of all time, both in terms of scientific output and its immediate public appeal. It has consistently delivered super-sharp images and clean, uncontaminated spectra over the entire near-infrared and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Hubble's observations have opened up new scientific territory and have led to major breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as accurately determining the rate of expansion of the Universe. Hubble - Window on the Universe is a celebration of Hubble's astonishing scientific and technical achievements told via 200 glorious full-colour images. This stunning oversized volume showcases all of the most spectacular - and most recent - images taken by the HST so far. The chapters of the book are arranged thematically (The Solar System in Perspective, A New View of the Stars, Beyond the Milky Way, Exploring Space and Time) revealing the most recent views of a dizzying array of celestial objects such as Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the birth and death of stars, the beautiful Butterfly Nebulae, Omega Centauri, Stephen's Quintet and the mysteries of dark matter. Feature spreads chart the fascinating history of the Hubble project from its origins and launch in 1990, the discovery and emergency repair of a defective mirror, the impact of four subsequent servicing missions and finally, what the future holds in store for one of the most amazing scientific instruments ever made.

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

The very latest and most dramatic images of the Universe taken by the Hubble Telescope.

From the Inside Flap

The Hubble Space Telescope is a technological wonder of our age that has fascinated millions with its beautiful and awe-inspiring images of the Universe. It has revolutionized the science of astronomy, revealing hitherto unknown secrets of planets, stars and galaxies that have given us a perspective of the Universe we could never previously have imagined.
As well as capturing stunning close-up pictures of the planets in our own solar system, Hubble has looked deep into the Milky Way and beyond, taking pictures of rare, massive stars one hundred times bigger and a million times brighter than our own Sun, and star-forming nebulae that extend across dozens of light years. It has allowed scientists to witness some of the most destructive forces in existence as galaxies collide, and to observe the huge amount of energy released when stars reach the end of their lives. Hubble's Deep Field images are among the most scientifically important images ever taken, showing the most distant and most ancient galaxies in the visible Universe.
With over 400 glorious, full-colour images, this stunning volume showcases the Hubble Space Telescope's most spectacular - and most recent - discoveries such as Pluto in unprecedented detail, the beautiful Butterfly Nebula, Omega Centauri, Stephan's Quintet and the mysteries of dark matter. Giles Sparrow's expert text describes Hubble's fascinating story and how it has become one of the most successful scientific projects of all time; charting its origins and troubled launch in 1990, the emergency repair of its defective mirror, the impact of four subsequent servicing missions and, finally, what the future holds for one of the most amazing scientific instruments ever created.
From our nearest interplanetary neighbours to the very edge of the Universe and the dawn of time, the Hubble Space Telescope's observations have helped us to answer questions about the age of the Universe, how planets form, and the nature of the supermassive black holes that swell at the centre of galaxies. The pages of this book celebrate Hubble's astonishing contribution to science over the last 20 years, and the spectacular views of the cosmos that have transformed the way we see the Universe and our place within it.

Edition details

• Publisher: Quercus Publishing
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184916486X
• ISBN 13: 9781849164863
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224