The Astronomer's Universe: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmos [Paperback]

Herbert Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1998

Until the first quarter of the 20th century, the Milky Way galaxy was all we knew of the universe. Static and eternal, it consisted of a 100 billion stars and a multitude of questions. Then came a burst of technology and research, which has lasted six decades and is still in progress. We know that 15 billion years ago the universe exploded from its tiny seed, leaving scattered through empty space billions of galaxies filled with such exotica as neutron stars, black holes, pulsars, quasars, white dwarfs and red giants. The hiss of cosmic microwave radiation remains as testimony to the Big Bang of creation. Dr Herbert Friedman, who helped usher in the new era of rocket and satellite astronomy, draws on a lifetime of experience in telling the history of astronomical research - the new knowledge, the technology and the human genius of this branch of science. This paperback edition has been updated to include new material on the latest findings, including coverage of the Hubble Telescope.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Friedman details observation techniques; covers topics that include stellar evolution, quasars and post-Big Bang nucleosynthesis; and profiles pathfinders such as Edwin Hubble, Jan Oort and telescope-builder George Hale. "One of the most engaging popular-science introductions to astronomy to come along in memory," said PW. Illustrated.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Surveys the whole sweep of modern astronomy . . . for those who would like to sit down with one of the leading postwar researchers who could explain what the new astronomical knowledge is all about. -- Christian Science Monitor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 365 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; Rev Upd Su edition (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393317633
• ISBN-13: 978-0393317633
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,748,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete and up to date well written book on astronomy, November 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Astronomer's Universe: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmos (Paperback)

Everything I wanted to know about telescopes, radio astronomy, white dwarfs, the milky way, black holes, search for other life in the universe, and the history of astronomy is all in this book. It is easily read by a layman (like me). Math background not required. Great stories of discovery! Well illustrated.

5.0 out of 5 stars billyuns, January 8, 2012

By 

arthursee - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Astronomer's Universe: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmos (Paperback)

Oh my god ... It's full of stars.

including

ACAMAR

ACHERNAR

Achird

ACRUX

Acubens

ADARA

Adhafera

Adhil

AGENA

Ain al Rami

Ain

Al Anz

Al Kalb al Rai

Al Minliar al Asad

Al Minliar al Shuja

Aladfar

Alathfar

Albaldah

Albali

ALBIREO

Alchiba

ALCOR

ALCYONE

ALDEBARAN

ALDERAMIN

Aldhibah

Alfecca Meridiana

5.0 out of 5 stars Crash! Whizz! Bang!, December 30, 2009

By 

Erica Bell (Washington State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Astronomer's Universe: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmos (Paperback)

I am a middle-aged housewife with a sudden, ravenous and completely inexplicable need to know everything there is about collapsing stars--this stage in their evolution, and the compact objects they form. I recently was at a friend's house and saw this on his shelf. It's FANTASTIC, and I can't wait until my copy gets here. For near-idiots like me, pictures are essential, and the illustrations in this book are superb--clear, clean drawings of all the degenerate goo in, say, a neutron star's core (I'm afraid that's the only part I poured over, but I devoured it). Included, too, is a blow-by-blow account of every ghastly step of this, the ultimate natural disaster.

There's lots more, too, but I'm an obsessive, so that's what I looked at. This is a fantastic beginning for those adults curious about the very big universe around them--the math is at a minimum, the illustrations are INTENSE, and the text is run clear through with the thrill of it all. Until I can do the math in Compact Stars: Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics and General Relativity (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library), this'll do nicely. And who cares if we now know more than is presented here? This not-too-dated book is STILL a great place to start.