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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

Our Evolving Universe is a lucid, non-technical and infectiously enthusiastic introduction to current understanding in astronomy and cosmology. Highly illustrated throughout, with the latest colour images from the world's most advanced telescopes, this book also provides a colourful view of our Universe - right across the spectrum, from X-and gamma-rays, through to radio waves.

Malcolm Longair takes us on a breathtaking tour of the most dramatic recent results astronomers have obtained on the birth of stars, the hunt for black holes and dark matter, on gravitational lensing and the latest tests of the Big Bang. Throughout this dramatic story, he explains clearly the key questions that future research in astronomy and cosmology must answer. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout, including up-to-date images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the COBE satellite and the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. A clear and comprehensive glossary of technical terms is also provided.

For the general reader, student or professional wishing to understand the key questions today's astronomers and cosmologists are trying to answer, this is an inspiring read.

(Extracted from the dust jacket).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Preface.

-1- THE GRAND DESIGN.

-1.1- The unfolding Universe.
-1.2- Sizes and distances in the Universe.
-1.3- The nature of light and the electromagnetic spectrum.
-1.4- Observing the sky through the Earth's atmosphere.
-1.5- The temperatures of celestial objects.
-1.6- The Universe as observed in different wavebands.
-1.7- The multi-wavelength Universe.

-2- THE BIRTH OF THE STARS AND THE GREAT COSMIC CYCLE.

-2.1- Powering the Sun and the stars.
-2.2- The Sun - A testbed for the physics of the stars.
-2.3- The evolution of stars and the great cosmic cycle.
-2.4- How to observe stars forming.
-2.5- The problems of star formation.
-2.6- Interstellar chemistry and the origin of life.

-3- THE ORIGIN OF QUASARS.

-3.1- The origins of high energy astrophysics.
-3.2- The radio galaxies and the discovery of quasars.
-3.3- The discovery of pulsars.
-3.4- The supernova SN1987A.
-3.5- The discovery of X-ray binary sources.
-3.6- General relativity and black holes.
-3.7- The astrophysics of black holes.
-3.8- Observational evidence of black holes.
-3.9- The big problems.

-4- THE ORIGIN OF GALAXIES.

-4.1- The evolution of galaxies oversimplified.
-4.2- Hubble's law and the expansion of the Universe.
-4.3- The dynamics of the expanding Universe.
-4.4- The measurement of cosmological parameters.
-4.5- The dark matter problem.
-4.6- Gravitational lenses and dark matter.
-4.7- The basic problems of galaxy formation.
-4.8- Radiation in the expanding Universe
-4.9- Dark matter and galaxy formation.
-4.10- Making real galaxies.

-5- THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE.

-5.1- Towards the Big Bang.
-5.2- The thermal history of the Universe.
-5.3- The synthesis of the light elements.
-5.4- Nine facts about the Universe.
-5.5- The four fundamental problems.
-5.6- Solutions to the great problems.
-5.7- The anthropic cosmological principle.
-5.8- The inflationary Universe and clues from particle physics.
-5.9- Final Things.

- Further reading.

- Picture acknowledgements.

- Glossary.

- Astronomical units.

- Index.

OUR REVIEW

Malcolm Longair is not only a well-known research scientist but also an excellent teacher and science writer, with a special ability to address a young audience. In this respect his work as a disseminator of science to the general public and especially to the younger generations has earned him worldwide recognition, and in 1986 he was given the Britannica award for the dissemination of knowledge. His explanations in this book, from the very first lines till the last page, are clear and simple enough, yet they do not lack the necessary scientific precision leading the reader to understand the ways of current astronomy, the origin and evolution of the Universe, as well as the most elementary questions concerning cosmology.

Even if some basic formulation is unavoidable so as to demonstrate some key questions in physics, like for instance the nature of light and the electromagnetic spectrum, the necessary formulae are kept to a minimum while being at the same time clearly elucidated, thus allowing the average reader to easily follow the explanations provided in each chapter. The book includes illustrative charts and tables that reinforce each point, as well as graphics and photos - sometimes in black and white, mostly in beautiful colour, depicting the most recent discoveries, a fact which makes of this book a true treasure for the non-specialist readers wishing to get a clear picture about our Universe. The glossary and the annex explaining the astronomical units used in this volume are certainly useful to the non-initiated readers who are interested in such a fascinating subject.

Our Evolving Universe is in a word a wonderful book which will introduce us into the world of astronomy and cosmology led by one of the best experts in these fields.