The Restless Universe: Understanding X-Ray Astronomy in the Age of Chandra and Newton (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Chandra, Newton, and Astro-E: three satellites, all dedicated to the study of X rays..." (more)
Key Phrases: photon bubbles, active galaxies, astrophysical source, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Space Flight Center, The Restless Universe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A highly readable account of the exploration of the Universe through X-rays, providing a solid foundation for those who wish to move on to read more about this exciting field of human knowledge."--Nature
"Schlegel has worked on NASA's Chandra satellite since before its launch 3 years ago. He melds a history of X-ray astronomy with a wide-ranging look at the fruits of Chandra and Europe's Newton. He paints an exhilarating portrait of what astrophysicists hope to learn from data generated by these vehicles."--Science News
"By introducing the reader to the notion that what we see in the Cosmos is certainly not all that is there, Schlegel brings one to the realization that a more complete and accurate view of the Universe is at hand. Indeed, his marvelous description of the historical and cultural development of our use of X rays seems natural beside his explanations of how X rays now permit us to see structure where once we saw none--from shock waves flung out into space by exploding stars to diffuse, high-temperature gas that fills the 'visibly' empty space in clusters of galaxies. He brings to our mind's eye the vision of a restless, high-energy Universe, one until now just beyond the limit of our ability to see."--Dr. Jay White, Van Vleet Professor of Physics at Rhodes College

Product Description

Carl Sagan once noted that there is only one generation that gets to see things for the first time. We are in the midst of such a time right now, standing on the threshold of discovery in the young and remarkable field of X-ray astronomy. In The Restless Universe, astronomer Eric Schlegel offers readers an informative survey of this cutting-edge science. Two major space observatories launched in the last few years--NASA's Chandra and the European Newton--are now orbiting the Earth, sending back a gold mine of data on the X-ray universe. Schlegel, who has worked on the Chandra project for seven years, describes the building and launching of this space-based X-ray observatory. But the book goes far beyond the story of Chandra. What Schlegel provides here is the background a nonscientist would need to grasp the present and follow the future of X-ray astronomy. He looks at the relatively brief history of the field, the hardware used to detect X-rays, the satellites--past, present, and future--that have been or will be flown to collect the data, the way astronomers interpret this data, and, perhaps most important, the insights we have already learned as well as speculations about what we may soon discover. And throughout the book, Schlegel conveys the excitement of looking at the universe from the perspective brought by these new observatories and the sharper view they deliver. Drawing on observations obtained from Chandra, Newton, and previous X-ray observatories, The Restless Universe gives a first look at an exciting field which significantly enriches our understanding of the universe.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First Edition edition (October 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195148479
• ISBN-13: 978-0195148473
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #477,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars detailed enough to be interesting, January 8, 2003

By	Theodore Sung (Needham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author did not shy away
from trying to explain the physics in an understandable way
and succeeded. He also very clearly proved his points with
detailed examples. I did think the book was a little disorganized but overall highly recommend this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book on observational x-ray astronomy, September 2, 2009

By	Farseem Mohammedy (Hamilton, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book on x-ray astronomy. The author, a working scientist in the field, explains how x-ray astronomy slowly matured through the many satellites developed. The author took great care in explaining the details of the science and egineering of the various x-ray probes and the many intricacies of the x-ray astronomy itself. He slowly takes the reader to the depths of spectroscopy and then to the mysteries of the universre, stars and satr clouds. I enjoyed the reading.