Welcome to the universe : an astrophysical tour / Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Pt. I, Stars, planets, and life : -- The size and scale of the universe -- From the day and night sky to planetary orbits -- Newton's Laws -- How stars radiate energy (I) -- How stars radiate energy (II) -- Stellar spectra -- The lives and deaths of stars (I) -- The lives and deaths of stars (II) -- Why Pluto is not a planet -- The search for life in the galaxy. Pt. II, Galaxies : -- The interstellar medium -- Our milky way -- The universe of galaxies -- The expansion of the universe -- The early universe -- Quasars and supermassive black holes. Pt. III, Einstein and the universe : -- Einstein's road to relativity -- Implications of special relativity -- Einstein's general theory of relativity -- Black holes -- Cosmic strings, wormholes, and time travel -- The shape of the universe and the big bang -- Inflation and recent developments in cosmology -- Our future in the universe -- Appendix 1: Derivation of E=mc2 -- Appendix 2: Bekenstein, entrophy of black holes, and information.

Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all--from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel. Describing the latest discoveries in astrophysics, the informative and entertaining narrative propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space. How do stars live and die? Why did Pluto lose its planetary status? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and why is its expansion accelerating? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Answering these and many other questions, the authors open your eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, sharing their knowledge of how the universe works.Breathtaking in scope and stunningly illustrated throughout, Welcome to the Universe is for those who hunger for insights into our evolving universe that only world-class astrophysicists can provide.--Publisher description.