Universe Down to Earth

Deftly demystifying astronomical terms and concepts such as the Big Bang, black holes, redshifts, syzygy, and Kirkwood Gaps, Universe Down to Earth traces the life of the stars from birth to death; presents the Periodic Table of Elements, highlighting noteworthy elements such as titanium, iron, and hydrogen; gives an unorthodox yet entertaining tour of famous constellations; and tackles modern-day astrology.

Booknews

This often amusing exploration of the physical universe explains fundamental concepts in a language that is clear to the layperson with little or no science background. The author probes the philosophy, methods, and discoveries of science, including stellar evolution, the conservation of energy, the electromagnetic spectrum, gravity, and thermodynamics. Beginning with the history of counting, he demonstrates the universality of mathematics, then goes on to describe the scientific method, astronomy terms, and the periodic table. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Neil D. Tyson is research scientist in astrophysics at Princeton University and Curator of Astronomy, Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History. A graduate of the Bronx High School of Science in New York City, Dr. Tyson received his B.A. in Physics from Harvard and his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia. He is author of the question-and-answer book Merlin's Tour of the Universe, published by Columbia University Press