Secrets of the Universe How We Discovered the Cosmos /anglais

by MURDIN PAUL

Discoveries in astronomy challenge our fundamental ideas about the universe. Where the astronomers of antiquity once spoke of fixed stars, we now speak of whirling galaxies and giant supernovae. Where we once thought Earth was the center of the universe, we now see it as a small planet among millions of other planetary systems, any number of which could also hold life. These dramatic shifts in our perspective hinge on thousands of individual moments when it became clear to someone that some part of the universe—whether a planet or a supermassive black hole—was not as it once seemed.Secrets of the Universe invites us to participate in these moments of revelation and wonder as scientists first experienced them. Renowned astronomer Paul Murdin here provides an ambitious and exciting overview of astronomy, conveying for newcomers and aficionados alike the most important discoveries of this science and introducing the many people who made them. Lavishly illustrated with more than 400 color images, the book outlines in seventy episodes what humankind has learned about the cosmos—and what scientists around the world are poised to learn in the coming decades. Arranged by types of discovery, it also provides an overarching narrative throughout that explains how the earliest ideas of the cosmos evolved into the cutting-edge astronomy we know today. Along the way, Murdin never forgets that science is a human endeavor, and that every discovery was the result of inspiration, hard work, or luck—usually all three.The first section of Secrets explores discoveries made before the advent of the telescope, from stars and constellations to the position of our own sun. The second considers discoveries made within our own solar system, from the phases of Venus and the moons of Jupiter to the comets and asteroids at its distant frontier. The next section delves into discoveries of the dynamic universe, like gravitation, relativity, pulsars, and black holes. A fourth examines discoveries made within our own galaxy, from interstellar nebulae and supernovae to Cepheid variable stars and extrasolar planets. Next Murdin turns to discoveries made within the deepest recesses of the universe, like quasars, supermassive black holes, and gamma ray bursters. In the end, Murdin unveils where astronomy still teeters on the edge of discovery, considering dark matter and alien life.

Genres: Science, Astronomy, Nonfiction, Space

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Yuniar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got it from Big Bad Wolf Book Fair 2017. It's in English so I review it in this. The book tells about the universe in detailed explanation, start from the planet (each planet until page 80th), meteors & meteorite, the origin of the moon, the dynamic universe like interstellar, black holes, nebulae, supernovae, exoplanets, supermassive black hole and so on. It really helps, at least for me, it's wonderful, I get to know so many things about Universe. For that matter, this book is highly recommended...!!

[Geoff Newson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting book with bite size topics so you can easily pick it up and read a couple in a spare moment.

[Becca Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive guide to the discoveries that underpin our understanding of the universe. The discrete chapters are not intended to be read sequentially in large sittings and as a result the writing can feel repetitive and the order of chapters is often random. As a book intended for the general public it is very good and I can respect the amount of time and effort it takes to make something this good. I just wish there were more equations and diagrams - but I guess I'm looking for a textbook and not a nonfiction pop-science book like this one. Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who want to know more about the universe and how our universe was discovered.

[Stefan Barbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that just shows you how far mankind has gone in the search for understanding the meaning of life and how we came to be. The more you read astronomy and cosmology the more you tend to realize that religion has nothing to do with it.
It's a great book for a curios beginner in the world of astronomy.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice book, mostly about how we discovered things and how we did it i liked it though!