This encyclopedia is a landmark publication that summarises astronomers'
knowledge of the universe and its contents in 1000 pages. There are 403
alphabetically arranged articles on topics from Accretion to Zodiacal
Light. The articles are written by more than 100 professional astronomers,
selected on a world wide basis by an advisory board of 24 distinguished
scientists. The articles are carefully cross-referenced, and they are
supported by 520 photographs and diagrams. An in-depth index makes it easy
to retrieve information on any subject. The articles range over every kind
of astronomical object and astrophysical concept. The rich density of
information on current research topics can be appreciated by considering
supernovae: there are five articles on supernovae, four on supernova
remnants, and five on cosmic rays. All modern topics are treated with this
degree of thoroughness. Accepted facts are always clearly separated from
proposed explanations. The coverage includes quasars, the background
radiation, every planet and the major moons in the solar system, solar
system debris, stars and stellar evolution, and galaxies.
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope are transforming our view of the
Universe. The planets of our solar system, the birth of stars, the effects
of black holes, and remote galaxies are all imaged with a clarity that can
only be achieved by a telescope in space. Showcased here are sixty of the
finest images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Chosen for their scientific
themes and their beauty, this collection includes every kind of known
object in the Universe: planets, stars, swirling clouds of gas, wheeling
galaxies, remote quasars and active galaxies. This representative
selection is carefully chosen to show the power of the telescope and the
stunning variety of astronomical objects. Noted writers Jacqueline Mitton
and Stephen P. Maran have added lucid descriptions explaining the science
behind the images, and the significance of the discoveries made by the
Hubble Space Telescope. This accessible summary of the Hubble Space
Telescope describes its rich discoveries in non-technical terms.
