"How many stars are in the sky? How did the universe begin? Where did it come from? This is the story of Edwin Hubble, a boy fascinated by the stars who surmounted many hurdles to follow his dreams of becoming an astronomer. Using the insights of great mathematicians and endlessly observing the sky, he succeeded in confirming two things that altered human life forever: that there are more galaxies than our own, and that the universe is always expanding....

Ninety-six lectures, divided into ten sections, are designed to provide a non-technical description of modern astronomy, including the structure and evolution of planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole. Updated edition integrates discoveries reported in the 2003 course and includes recent findings (through mid-2006).

Presents information about what galaxies, stars, planets, and other space objects are, and how they are formed.

"Travel back in time to the big bang, and learn about the formation of the universe. Explore the baffling world of black holes, and find out how scientists are searching for alien life. Discover the strangest sights of the universe, from quirky quasars to clouds that smell like raspberries."--

"The Big Bang theory describes the very beginnings of the universe, when it was infinitesimally small and infinitely dense, and follows its rapid expansion and evolution, from the formation of nuclei within the first few minutes to the creation of the first galaxies a billion years later. The Big Bang theory is a cornerstone of modern cosmology, and although astronomers cannot directly observe the birth of the universe, the theory is widely accepted...