Cosmos and Man

Engledew, an accomplished author of popular science books, describes nothing less than stellar astronomy, the structure of the solar system, the nature of time and space in terms of cosmology, the expanding universe and some possible fates of the cosmos -- all in a brief, succinct and accurate way. Scientific wonders and the spectacular nature of the universe are explored in terms of ""exotic beasts"" like black holes and neutron stars, with explanations geared to the general reader.

Intro; Preface. Greetings, Sentient Beings; Chapter 1. Man And His Cosmos; "Stars Just Got Bigger"1; Dawn Of The Space Age; A Better Understanding Of The Solar System; The Danger Of Asteroids; A World Of Our Making; The Path Taken; Chapter 2. The Sands Of Time, The Colossus Of Distance; The Big Time; The Meaning Of Time; A Page In Earth History; Restless Earth; The Museum Next Door; Primordial Soup Of The Day; The Primordial Soup Theory; Deep Sea Vents; Panspermia; Deep Hot Biosphere Theory; Radioactive Beach Hypothesis; Chapter 3. The Nature Of The Universe; Fiat Lux.

Big Bang And The Observable UniverseExotic Beasts Of The Cosmos; Quasars; Supernovae; Neutron Stars And Pulsars; The Crab Nebula; Black Holes; New Dangers. Earth In Peril!; Nearby Nova; Rampaging Black Holes; An Upheaval Involving The Sun; Gamma Ray Bursts; Asteroid Strikes; The Forces of Nature; Mach's Principle or Mach's Conjecture; The Cosmological Principle; The Copernican Principle; The Density Parameter; Big Crunch: 1011 years from now; Big Bounce; Chapter 4. Life And Origins; In The Beginning; The Origin Of The Solar System; A Quintessence Of Dust.

How Long Have We Been Wondering: Is Anyone Out There?Futuri…