Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Universe And Our Place Within It

Everything you ever wanted to know about the universe – and our place within it – in one mind-expanding and highly accessible book.

What happens inside black holes? Is dark matter real? Could we do anything to prevent being wiped out by an approaching asteroid? Will our explorations of our neighboring planets reveal life or a new place to settle? What can observations of stars reveal about our origins – and our future?

Professor Andrew Newsam draws on his vast expertise to show us what’s going on beyond the limits of our planet, from our solar system to distant galaxies – and what this tells us about our own place in this vast expanse called ‘the Universe’. From glowing nebulae to the sweeping majesty of the Milky Way, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Universe will spark your curiosity and help you make sense of the amazing discoveries and fascinating mysteries of the cosmos.

"Unpatronizing, direct and comprehensible." --BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Andrew Newsam is a Professor of Astronomy Education and Engagement at Liverpool John Moores University. After studying cosmology at Glasgow University, and working as an observational astronomer at the University of Southampton, he joined LJMU in 1998 to help set up the educational arm of the Liverpool Telescope, which later became the National Schools' Observatory, one of the largest astronomy education projects in the world. As well as astronomical research and education he is a keen science communicator, giving talks to many thousands of schoolchildren, amateur astronomers, and the general public.

CONTENTS
Introduction vii
1. Looking out from Earth 1
2. The Sun as a star 31
3. The Solar System 47
4. Stars 99
5. Galaxies 127
6. The Big Bang 165
Appendix: Facts and figures 191
Index 199