Technology provides us with the means to look further out at the universe from our corner of it than we had ever dreamed possible. "The Universe at Midnight" tells the story of 20th-century cosmology. In this jargon-free guide to the awesome, Ken Croswell does not just simply state the answers to questions about the origin of the universe and its demise based on complicated mathematical theory. Instead he presents the dramatic story of how particular astronomers made the observations that recently have answered many of cosmology's more perplexing questions. Discoveries such as the "Great Attractor", a mass of galaxies 250 million light years away that is actually tugging at our galaxy and thousands of others, and supernovae billions of light years distant that indicate that the expansion of our universe is accelerating. This book presents a clear view of how magnificent observatories and orbiting telescopes are the future of cosmology and the key to unlocking the universe's greatest mysteries.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The battles to ascertain the values of three little "constants," whose importance far surpasses their size, form the center of this first-rate survey of cosmology's development over the last 100 years. They are the Hubble constant, or the universe's present expansion rate; the universe's matter density, or omega; and lambda, the cosmological constant, which counteracts gravity and pushes the universe apart. Croswell (Alchemy of the Heavens; Planet Quest) dishes surprisingly engrossing intergalactic dirt on the cutthroat competition among cosmologists, few of whom will be familiar to most readers. Some readers, therefore, may feel their heads start to spin like a spiral galaxy as they attempt to keep track of all the interactions between the different constants and which cosmologist is pushing which value at what point. (For the more scientifically inclined, there are 20 pages of tables, along with an excellent glossary and extensive bibliography.) Recently, scientists quite unexpectedly discovered that the universe is expanding faster and faster, generating the dreaded lambda force. In the far distant future the universe will be a gargantuan cold, dark void as recently reported in a Time cover story. Readers whose interest has been piqued by the mass media reports will find this a comprehensive and understandable explanation of our eventual doom's mechanics.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Croswell (Planet Quest) ranks with the likes of Timothy Ferris, Alan Lightman, Donald Goldsmith, Dennis Overbye, and John Gribbin among the elite of popularizers of astronomy and cosmology. The field is crowded, however, and his new work, while quite good in its own right, offers little new information. Covering the history of 20th century cosmology, with emphasis on the Big Bang theory and its implications for the ultimate fate of the universe, Midnight would be a good first read for somebody unfamiliar with the subject. Still, many of these scientific discoveries have been told literally dozens of times, and fans of this genre will learn nothing new. To his credit, Croswell does focus on the most recent research, but even there a reader would profit more from Ferris's more engaging The Whole Shebang (LJ 2/15/97). A marginal purchase. Gregg Sapp, Science Lib., SUNY at Albany
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Sir Patrick Moore said about,
By Reader (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Universe at Midnight: Observations Illuminating the Cosmos (Hardcover)
Popular books about cosmology tend to become out of date very quickly, simply because this is such a fast-moving science. Every month seems to bring a fresh batch of discoveries and surprises. "The Universe at Midnight" by Ken Croswell is fully up to date, and clearly the author has carried out a tremendous amount of research.The book covers the whole field of modern cosmology. The first chapter sets the scene with some fascinating historical anecdotes. Then come sections on the big bang and its rival theories, dark matter, stellar evolution, the expansion of the universe, its "weight," background radiation and much else. The text abounds in quotes from experts thus avoiding the danger of distortion or misinterpretation--most cosmologists, both past and present, have very definite views. Many of the quotes from key figures given here will not be found anywhere else. Croswell makes no attempt to disguise the fact that our present knowledge is very limited, and that we are still uncertain about fundamentals such as the Hubble constant, which defines the rate at which the universe is expanding. There is a long and particularly interesting chapter about this. Neither can we be really confident about the age of the universe. The best current estimate is of the order of 15 billion years, but it is conceivable that this figure may be drastically modified in the foreseeable future. The final chapter, which deals with the eventual fate of the Earth, is rather different in approach, and is highly speculative. Our planet cannot last forever, but when the situation becomes intolerable is there anything our descendants could do? As yet we cannot say, but breaking the Earth free from the dying Sun and transferring it to another star is likely to be a rather difficult matter. Fortunately, there is no need for immediate alarm. The text is accurate, with only a few tiny and wholly unimportant slips (for example, the Large Magellanic Cloud is no longer classed as a completely irregular galaxy). The main disadvantage of Croswell's approach, however, is that the emphasis upon personalities sometimes masks the science. This is probably not the book for a reader who wants a no-nonsense, straightforward and concise account of modern cosmology. It is also a pity that Croswell has emphasised personal conflicts between researchers--accusations of [...], attempts to claim credit for other people's work and so on. Of course this does happen, but from this book the newcomer might well think that cosmologists are a jealous and arrogant breed. This was certainly not the author's intention. In places, too, the writing tends to be of what may be called the tabloid variety. "Perhaps the universe is expanding into nothing, or into God's living room, or into some physicist's laboratory. Take your pick." But these are quibbles. "The Universe at Midnight" is vastly entertaining and enjoyable, as well as informative. It will be a welcome addition to any library, particularly if it is read in conjunction with a book that deals with the same subject in a more conventional way.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ken Croswell Lights the Universe for Astronomers!,
By Jeremy Mathews (Ogden, Ut) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Universe at Midnight: Observations Illuminating the Cosmos (Hardcover)
The Universe at Midnight is a truly remarkable book! I was absolutely blown away by it. Ken Croswell has a talent for science writing. I had never read a book by him before, and I can say that I was so impressed with this book that I will definitely look for more of his works. He does not try to force a specific belief on any of his readers, rather he simply presents the facts of astronomy and let's the reader draw his own conclusion. Ken Croswell gives new understanding to the nature of astronomers in history. Though I understood areas such as Redshift, Omega, and Hubble's Constant before, I gained impressive new understanding to them. Never before has a science book been able to capture my interest so completely. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! This book is a must have for any astronomer's professional library!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind blowing revelations about the Universe,
By
This review is from: The Universe at Midnight: Observations Illuminating the Cosmos (Hardcover)
This is just the right mix of detail yet not so technical as to push the reader over the edge of excess complexity. The book is a detective mystery and spirals around various topics regarding the structure and evolution of the universe returning again and again to the same issues but from ever more recent vantage points. We gain a sense of what it must be like to be scientists pushing back the frontiers of knowledge yet not above the personal issues and passions that intrude upon the process of discovery. The writing style is clear, clever, and fun while at the same time revealing deep levels of reality. Some long standing puzzles about the expansion of the universe were explained clearer here than I have seen anywhere else. I did not want the book to end and rather wished for a magical way to keep tacking on new chapters as discoveries continue to be made. It helps to have a general knowledge of physics and astronomy although the author does take pains to offer background information in as painless a manner as possible. In fact the seamless incorporation of the basics is unusually effective.
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