The Universe-- And Beyond - Softcover

Terence Dickinson is an award-winning author of fourteen astronomy titles including NightWatch and The Backyard Astronomer. More than one million copies of his previous books are in print. He is the editor of SkyNews magazine.

Preface

About This Book

If you are looking for a factual, up-to-date guide to the universe, written in accessible language and illustrated with the latest images from space probes and the largest observatories on Earth, then this is the book for you. At least, that's my not-so-humble opinion! But it's backed up by the fact that this is the Fourth Edition, a rare honor for most books.

I have attempted to cover most major topics in modern astronomy without delving into them at textbook depth, but I didn't skimp on detail. Rather, I made many hard decisions about what to put in and, especially, what to leave out. In doing so, I tried to focus on areas about which people most often ask questions. In my astronomy classes and when I am a "guest expert" on radio call-in shows and even in everyday conversation, I have noticed the same questions coming up again and again. I have included answers to as many of these as possible. But beyond that, this book is a celebration of our magnificent and, in many ways, still mysterious cosmos.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but astronomical pictures often require some explanation before they can be fully appreciated. Therefore, many of the photograph and illustration captions in this book are fully descriptive -- long and meaty to provide proper background and to augment the main text, rather than merely extract tidbits from it. Peruse the captions either as appetizers or during the reading of the main text.

The first edition of The Universe and Beyond was published in 1986, midway through what many regard as the golden age of astronomy -- roughly the last third of the 20th century -- a period during which our knowledge of the universe, both nearby and at its farthest reaches, expanded enormously. Although no one expects the pace of discovery to slow anytime soon, the beginning of the 21st century is an ideal opportunity to take an inventory of what we know and would like to learn about nature on its largest scale.

This completely revised and enlarged Fourth Edition contains significantly more illustrative material than previous editions. I am especially pleased that we were able to include four full pages of high-resolution reproductions from the 2004 Hubble Ultra Deep Field. This astonishing image is best appreciated in print, with your nose close to all those galaxies!

In a book of this size, there are inevitably some topics that we can only wave at on the way by. For those who are inspired to dig deeper, an annotated guide to further reading is offered. But I hope you will find The Universe and Beyond on its own a worthy celestial feast for both eye and mind.

Terence Dickinson
NightWatch Observatory
June 2004