Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour

by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Other authorsJ. Richard Gott (Author), Michael A. Strauss (Author)

Hardcover, 2016

Status

Available

Call number

QB982 .T974

Genres

Publication

Princeton University Press (2016), Edition: Illustrated, 480 pages

Description

Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all--from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel. Describing the latest discoveries in astrophysics, the informative and entertaining narrative propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space. How do stars live and die? Why did Pluto lose its planetary status? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and why is its expansion accelerating? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Answering these and many other questions, the authors open your eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, sharing their knowledge of how the universe works.Breathtaking in scope and stunningly illustrated throughout, Welcome to the Universe is for those who hunger for insights into our evolving universe that only world-class astrophysicists can provide.--Publisher description… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member fpagan

Sort of an informal version of a comprehensive textbook for an introductory astronomy course, with Tyson (helped by Strauss) covering stars and planets, Strauss covering galaxies, and Gott covering relativity and cosmology. Handsomely produced, colorfully illustrated, written with verve, *and*

quite meaty. Mathematics is present, but it is high-school level and does not dominate. There's no evidence that Gott or the other authors have any sympathy with those who nowadays question inflation or other aspects of the concordance model of cosmology.

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LibraryThing member dasam

Given that I am a layperson and my calculus is far behind me, I still believe that I was conceptually able to grasp at least a quarter of the matter in the book, the rest remaining "dark matter" for me, existent, imaginable but not yet graspable. The authors do a great job of explication, but this

still means that thus is a challenging book. I do feel that my understanding of the process behind E=mc2 for instance rose to a higher level as a result of spending quality time with these 3 intelligent and witty men.

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LibraryThing member themulhern

Astrophyisics for people in less of a hurry than those who went for "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry". I liked it more, but I didn't get into it, because it is slower going.

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