A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour

Neil deGrasse Tyson; Michael A. Strauss; J. Richard Gott

Published by Princeton University Press 2021

A Brief Welcome to the Universe

A Pocket-Sized Tour

Neil deGrasse Tyson , Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691223612

Overview
Contents

About this book

A pocket-style edition distilled from the New York Times bestseller

Awaiting you in this breezy book is a whirlwind tour through the cosmos—a journey of exploration to other planets, stars, and galaxies, and from black holes to time loops. With acclaimed astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott at your side, here you will find a brief and yet breathtaking introduction to the universe, which will help you in your quest to understand how the cosmos actually works.

A Brief Welcome to the Universe propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space, building your cosmic insight and perspective through a marvelously entertaining narrative. How do stars live and die? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and accelerating in the process? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Exploring these and many other questions, this pocket-friendly book is your passport into the wonders of our evolving cosmos.

Author / Editor information

Neil deGrasse Tyson is director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and the author of many books, including Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Twitter @neiltyson Michael A. Strauss is professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University. J. Richard Gott is professor emeritus of astrophysical sciences at Princeton. Twitter @JRichardGott

Reviews

“All three [authors] write in informal, conversational tones, and the text is sprinkled with genuinely funny non sequiturs, such as a brief rumination on dwarfs versus dwarves and commentary on English-speaking aliens in Star Trek. . . . What the book does very well is to present not just what we know about the universe but how we know it.”—Science

“As citizens of the cosmos, we are duty bound to explore it. So opine astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael Struass, and Richard Gott, guides on this bracing expedition through dusty galactic hinterlands and the vast theoretical vistas of Albert Einstein’s work.”—Nature

“Riveting questions fielded by three top astrophysicists in engaging style. . . . They may just have produced the best book about the universe in the universe.”—New Scientist

“Learn about everything from the birth of the Universe and quasars to dark energy and exoplanets from three of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet.”—Annalee Newitz, Ars Technica

“Their laudable goal is communicating vast, cosmic ideas in ways that are accessible without being simplistic.”—Washington Post

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	v
A Note to the Reader Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
1 Size and Scale of the Universe Neil deGrasse Tyson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2 Pluto’s Place in the Solar System Neil deGrasse Tyson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	16
3 The Lives and Deaths of Stars Michael A. Strauss and Neil deGrasse Tyson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	33
4 The Search for Life in the Galaxy Neil deGrasse Tyson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
5 Our Milky Way and Its Supermassive Black Hole Michael A. Strauss Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	98
6 Galaxies, the Expanding Universe, and the Big Bang Michael A. Strauss Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	113
7 Inflation and the Multiverse J. Richard Gott Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	150
8 Our Future in the Universe J. Richard Gott Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	192
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	221