The Alchemy of the Heavens: Searching for Meaning in the Milky Way [Paperback]

Ken Croswell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1996

The Alchemy Of The Heavens offers an exciting and accessible survey of what we know about our galaxy.  The home of the earth, the sun, and countless other stars, the Milky Way has long been an object of human fascintation, but it's been in the last forty years that astromoners and astrophysicists have made the most startling discoveries about our galaxy.  Author Ken Croswell reveals that the Milky Way formed as many earlier galaxies collopsed and smashed together; that may of the elements in the galaxy--including the iron and carbon that course through our bodies--were born in exploding supernovae; that in all likelihood there is a massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, with a million times more mass than the sun, and that the Milky Way's oldest stars preserve the elements created in the big bang, thereby serving as "fossils" of the universe's earliest days. A captivating journey through the modern astronomy of the Milky Way, Croswell shows us how a deeper understanding of the nature and working of the galaxy can offer larger clues into the origins of the universe itself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Croswell, an astronomer and experienced science writer, has authored an up-to-date and quite readable overview of our present knowledge concerning the Milky Way. Much of this survey concerns relatively recent discoveries about our galaxy, especially those of the last few decades. In a relaxed style suitable for the general reader, the author recounts important developments in historical context, drawing where possible on interviews with the astronomers who were involved. The work is thus strongly flavored with human interest and some sense of how the science was accomplished. Examples of the numerous topics considered are stellar populations, conflicting models of galactic birth and the origin of the elements?hence "alchemy." The implications of galactic phenomena for cosmology are emphasized. This enlightening and entertaining account has an unfortunate title that is an inadequate clue to its contents. Illustrations.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Croswell, a writer for popular science magazines, offers an excellent overview of current thinking on the structure and evolution of our home galaxy. Beginning with a quick tour of the Milky Way, its ten satellite bodies, and the "Local Group," the author places the sun and other familiar stars within the galaxy's distinct segments. He recounts the early, stumbling progress of astronomers toward an understanding of the Milky Way and other massive, isolated collections of stars, which came to be revealed as such only through the flurry of discoveries and technical advancements made in this century. While some material is more accessible to specialists, Croswell does an admirable job of linking a knowledge of the Milky Way's components, dynamics, and evolution to even greater cosmological questions: the age, mass, and ultimate fate of the universe. For public and academic libraries.?Patrick Dunn, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 1ST edition (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385472145
• ISBN-13: 978-0385472142
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,149,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just another book about Galaxy., September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alchemy of the Heavens: Searching for Meaning in the Milky Way (Paperback)

It doesn't matter if you are astronomer or not: every time you look at the clear and starry sky, you will lose track of time. And after you read this book, this will be even easier because Alchemy of the Heavens will be your guide for that beautiful picture above you. When you see a fuzzy patch, you will wonder whether this is some old globular cluster which holds clues to the origin and history of our own Galaxy or maybe even one of our bigger and brighter galactic satellites. Blue stars won't be just blue stars anymore but lighthouses tracing the spiral structure of our Galaxy, and the next time you see an Orion nebula, you will remember the story about H II regions and new stars that were and will be born there.

The author provides us with answers (and if they aren't available, then with current theories) to many questions, some of which are: How the Galaxy formed and evolved? What populations and types of stars exist? What can you tell about a star just by observing its color? And how was all this knowledge acquired? Chapters that explain long path to discoveries are chronologically ordered and contain many interviews with scientists themselves. This makes the book much more interesting to read and lets you learn about all ups and downs and not just the end result. This, in turn, will let you understand present theories better because you've already heard all the old ones and the reasons why they were rejected. Moreover, the author points to many misconceptions that can be found in today's literature (the most common of which being that our Sun is just an ordinary star). The last chapters of the book are left for a bit of speculation on the Hubble constant, age of the Universe and also the possibility that some of our 29-stellar neighbours harbor an Earth-like planet or maybe even life (for further exploration of this topic and other solar systems found, I recommend the book Planet Quest by the same author). If your forget some word, the rich glossary is there to refresh your memory. This book will be an exciting material to read, be it your first introduction to our Galaxy's clockwork or not.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An up-to-date account of modern cosmology, July 27, 2000

By 

John Rummel (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Alchemy of the Heavens: Searching for Meaning in the Milky Way (Paperback)

Croswell focuses on stellar evolution and the evolution of galaxies in a narrative that alternates between the very technical and the very personal. He gives first hand glimpses into the lives and thoughts of many modern astronomers and cosmologists and provides insights into the battles as they are being fought today. A great book to read if you're interested in the contributions of astronomers of the 70's right up to the mid-90's. He also gives an historical treatment of his main topics (stellar evolution and galactic formation) but the history is brief - his main focus is on the state of these investigations today.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Milky Way as you always wanted to see it, August 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alchemy of the Heavens: Searching for Meaning in the Milky Way (Paperback)

Imagine your first book sells to publishers around the world. It is discovered in Germany, Poland, China, England. The New York Times raves and the LA Times picks it as a runner up for their book award. That is The Alchemy of the Heavens by Dr. Ken Croswell. This gem has been praised and Croswell has been compared most favorably to the greatest living astronomers. His prose is a pleasure that makes him unique among science writers. Don't hesitate to buy this one