The Universe in which we live is unimaginably vast and ancient, with countless star systems, galaxies, and extraordinary phenomena such as black holes, dark matter, and gamma ray bursts.  What phenomena remain mysteries, even to seasoned scientists?     Our Universe is a fascinating collection of essays by some of the world's foremost astrophysicists.  Some are theorists, some computational modelers, some observers, but all offer their insights into the most cutting-edge, difficult, and curious aspects of astrophysics.   Compiled, the essays describe more than the latest techniques and findings.  Each of the ten contributors offers a more personal perspective on their work, revealing what motivates them and how their careers and lives have been shaped by their desire to understand our universe.      S. Alan Stern is Director of the Department of Space Studies at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.  He is a planetary scientist and astrophysicist with both observational and theoretical interests.  Stern is an avid pilot and a principal investigator in NASA's planetary research program, and he was selected to be a NASA space shuttle mission specialist finalist.  He is the author of more than 100 papers and popular articles.  His most recent book is Pluto & Charon (Wiley, 1997).   Contributors:       Dr. John Huchra, Harvard University       Dr. Esther Hu, University of Hawaii, Honolulu       Dr. John Mather, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center       Dr. Nick Gnedin, University of Colorado, Boulder       Dr. Doug Richstone, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor       Dr. Bohdan Paczynski, Princeton University, NJ       Dr. Megan Donahue, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD       Dr. Jerry Ostriker, Princeton University, New Jersey     G. Bothun, University of Oregon, Eugene

Our Universe: The Thrill of Extragalactic Exploration As Told by Leading Experts PDF

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