Chandra's Cosmos
Dark Matter, Black Holes, and Other Wonders Revealed by NASA's Premier X-Ray Observatory
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
On July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the most powerful X-ray telescope ever built, was launched aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Since then, Chandra has given us a view of the universe that is largely hidden from telescopes sensitive only to visible light. In Chandra's Cosmos, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra science spokesperson Wallace H. Tucker uses a series of short, connected stories to describe the telescope's exploration of the hot, high-energy face of the universe. The book is organized in three parts: "The Big," covering the cosmic web, dark energy, dark matter, and massive clusters of galaxies; "The Bad," exploring neutron stars, stellar black holes, and supermassive black holes; and "The Beautiful," discussing stars, exoplanets, and life.
Chandra has imaged the spectacular, glowing remains of exploded stars and taken spectra showing the dispersal of their elements. Chandra has observed the region around the supermassive black hole in the center of our Milky Way and traced the separation of dark matter from normal matter in the collision of galaxies, contributing to both dark matter and dark energy studies. Tucker explores the implications of these observations in an entertaining, informative narrative aimed at space buffs and general readers alike.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tucker (Revealing the Universe, with Karen Tucker), science spokesperson for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center, relates the history of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the purpose for which it was constructed. When Chandra was launched in 1999 aboard the space shuttle Columbia, astrophysicists hoped the x-rays it observed emitting from the hottest regions of space would reveal the twisted space around black holes, the secrets of supernovas, and how the big bang's early moments shaped the universe. Tucker tells his story in three sections. "The Big" explores the paradox of dark matter and dark energy, the mysterious features that make up 95% of our universe. "The Bad" illuminates supermassive black holes, including the monsters that fuel quasars and those that lurk at the center of many galaxies including the Milky Way. Tucker's "The Beautiful" takes a closer look at supernovas, the explosive stellar death throes that end in white dwarfs, neutron stars, and pulsars. Because Earth's atmosphere absorbs x-rays, astronomers need telescopes like Chandra in space to collect data. Tucker's richly illustrated book shows why Chandra's data is essential to building a more complete picture of our universe, its components, and its history. Illus.
