Astrophysics category: 1588 books

In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus fomented a revolution when he debunked the geocentric view of the universe, proving instead that our planet wasn’t central to the universe. Almost five hundred years later, the revolution he set in motion is nearly complete. Just as earth is not the center of things,...

(science article) As you get to know your stellar neighborhood, you will find some bizarre and fascinating stars, planets and other strange things. Each one has its own personality, and we are starting to learn more about them, individually. One of the first things you will notice is that more...

To see video demonstrations of key concepts from the book, please visit this website: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/sites/timewarp/ Sci-fi makes it look so easy. Receive a distress call from Alpha Centauri? No problem: punch the warp drive and you're there in minutes. Facing a catastrophe that...

When scientists peer through a telescope at the distant stars in outer space or use a particle-accelerator to analyze the smallest components of matter, they discover that the same laws of physics govern the whole universe at all times and all places. Physicists call the eternal, ubiquitous constancy...

Humankind has grappled for millennia with the fundamental questions of the origin and end of the universe--it was a focus of ancient religions and myths and of the inquiries of Aristotle, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. Today we are at the brink of discoveries that should soon reveal the...

This fascinating 1968 report describes the results of a study of a semi-permanent lunar surface observatory, called Moonlab. Many unusual aspects of a moonbase are explored, including a futuristic take on astronauts for the mission: "Another more remote possibility is that the people pool will...

Multiverses, or multiple universes. Do they exist? The author suggests they do in this novel approach to the issue, with some interesting consequences for fans of time travel. A short yet thought provoking look at the idea of multiverses in a simple to understand text.

How does the Star Trek universe stack up against the real universe? What warps when you're traveling at warp speed? What is the difference between a wormhole and a black hole? Are time loops really possible, and can I kill my grandmother before I am born? Anyone who has ever wondered "could...

This groundbreaking book presents a new perspective on three of cosmology’s essential questions: What came before the Big Bang? What is the source of order in our universe? And what cosmic future awaits us? Penrose shows how the expected fate of our ever-accelerating and expanding universe—heat...

Dive into a mind-bending exploration of the physics of black holes Black holes, predicted by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity more than a century ago, have long intrigued scientists and the public with their bizarre and fantastical properties. Although Einstein understood that...

This book is a revised and updated version of Introductory Quantum Physics and Relativity. Based on lectures given as part of the undergraduate degree programme at the University of Leeds, it has been extended in line with recent developments in the field. The book contains all the material required...

This short ebook presents the calculation for determining the true size of our universe. The actual size of the universe is very small, compared to what most scientists believe. The maximum physical distance between any two points in the universe is about: 0.272 millimeters. This is...

A student-active introduction to astronomy, emphasizing inquiry learning so students will clearly understand our universe and the scientific method. Within-text and end-of-chapter questions check understanding of concepts and require the student to think critically through astronomy-based problems....

Most people just accept that our universe is ruled by gravity; an assumption that is wrong. Evidence instead shows that the force responsible for all the objects and events we observe throughout the universe is the electric force that enables current flow and therefore magnetic fields to exist. If...