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New Eyes on the Universe

Twelve Cosmic Mysteries and the Tools We Need to Solve Them

  • Book
  • © 2012

Overview

Authors:
  1. Stephen Webb

    1. DCQE, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

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  • Provides an overview of the most important issues still to be resolved in astronomy and cosmology
  • Introduces a wide range of observatories, including instruments for capturing more exotic kinds of electromagnetic radiation
  • Explains how ‘telescopes’ function for cosmic rays, neutrinos, gravitational waves, and dark matter
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books (PRAXIS)

Part of the book sub series: Popular Astronomy (POPULAR)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-x
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 1-26

  3. The oldest light in the Universe

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 27-52

  4. Through a glass, darkly

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 53-78

  5. A problem of some gravity

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 79-104

  6. Where God divides by zero

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 105-134

  7. The ‘Oh my God’ particles

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 135-158

  8. Deep sea, deep snow … deep space

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 159-178

  9. Far as human eye can see

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 179-202

  10. A new messenger from the cosmos

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 203-226

  11. The cosmic-wide web

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 227-246

  12. Nurseries in space

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 247-270

  13. Other Earths

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 271-294

  14. Listening out for life

    • Stephen Webb
    Pages 295-312

  15. Back Matter

    Pages 313-371
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Keywords

About this book

“New Eyes on the Universe – Twelve Cosmic Mysteries and the Tools We Need to Solve Them” gives an up-to-date broad overview of some of the key issues in modern astronomy and cosmology. It describes the vast amount of observational data that the new generation of observatories and telescopes are currently producing, and how that data might solve some of the outstanding puzzles inherent in our emerging world view. Included are questions such as: What is causing the Universe to blow itself apart? What could be powering the luminous gamma-ray bursters? Where is all the matter in the Universe? Do other Earths exist? Is there intelligent life out there? The renowned author explains clearly, without recourse to mathematics, why each question is puzzling and worthy of research. Included in the study of the wide range of sensitive and powerful instruments used by scientists to try and solve these problems are ones which capture electromagnetic radiation and ‘telescopes’ for cosmic rays, neutrinos, gravitational waves, and dark matter.

This book discusses twelve areas of active astronomical research, ranging from the nature of dark energy to the existence or otherwise of extraterrestrial civilizations, and devotes one chapter to each topic. Although astronomers tackle each of these questions using information gleaned from all possible wavelengths and sources (and this is emphasized throughout the book), in this work the author dedicates each chapter to a particular observational method. One chapter covers X-ray telescopes for investigating black holes, while another uses infrared telescopes to learn more about planetary information.

Reviews

From the reviews:

“‘New Eyes on the Universe’ shows that there is plenty more research subjects in astronomy and cosmology, that we are just beginning to find out more about. … Overall this book also introduces astronomical research in almost all wavelengths … and the telescopes that are only just new being built or will be in the future. It is definitely a book that might inspire young readers to go into astronomy.” (Kadri Tinn, AstroMadness.com, February, 2014)

“Explains in an engaging, nonmathematical way how this new generation of ‘telescopes’ is being used to attack a dozen of the ‘cream of the crop’ astronomical puzzles of current times--and why they are so important. … Liberal use of everyday analogies makes even the more difficult material easy to understand. The book is also something of a tour guide to many of the facilities, observatories, and spacecraft at the forefront of astronomy. … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Students of all levels and general readers.”(T. D. Oswalt, Choice, Vol. 50 (3), November, 2012)

Authors and Affiliations

  • DCQE, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

    Stephen Webb

About the author

Dr. Stephen Webb has a B.Sc. in Physics from Bristol University, and Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Manchester University. He was elected as a Member of Institute of Physics and awarded status of Chartered Physicist. Stephen has three previous books with Springer, including; “Measuring the Universe: The Cosmological Distance Ladder” (1999), “If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens…Where Is Everybody” (2002), and “Out of this World” (2004). All have been well received and reviewed. “If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens…Where is Everybody?” has won several awards and was shortlisted for the prestigious Aventis Prize for popular science writing. All three books deal with areas of astronomy and cosmology that have seen tremendous advances in recent years.

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