The vast expanse of the universe has been opened up to us like never before with the development of extraordinarily powerful telescopes both on earth and in space, orbiting satellites and planet and deep space probes. This book is a collection of the best of the photographs taken using this equipment.
The first chapter introduces the different types of instrument that brings us these fantastic and often fantastical images. In the second the planets in our solar system are brought to life from Pluto - the most remote, to the Moon. The asteroids and comets that enter our solar system are also examined.
Our nearest star, the Sun, and other stars in our galaxy are the subject of the third chapter. The birth and spectacular death of stars - supernovae - are also illustrated in chapter four. Finally, the fifth chapter looks beyond our galaxy. It is here that one of space exploration's greatest developments so far, the Hubble Space Telescope, has been able to teach us so much about the rest of the universe.
The images are spectacular, and author Ian Ridpath describes and explains each one to bring the far reaches of space ever closer.
