Stranded in the vast cosmos after a disastrous first encounter, Captain Lira Kael and her valiant crew aboard the Elysium must navigate through the uncharted territories of a strange and treacherous universe. Beyond the farthest stars, pursued by implacable foes and wrought with unforeseen dangers, they are fueled by a single, burning imperative: find a way back to Earth. As they forge ahead, the awe-inspiring mysteries of the cosmos unveil themselves—both wondrous and horrifying in equal measure. Each trial they face is not just a test of survival but an opportunity to display the indomitable human spirit in their relentless quest—light year by relentless light year. For Star Trek: Voyager fans, Shadows of the Farthest Stars offers a thrilling odyssey that echoes the heart of exploration and resilience. Join Captain Kael, akin to Captain Janeway, as she grapples with the responsibility of guiding her crew through the unknown, fostering unity amongst disparate characters, and encountering civilizations that challenge their very conception of life and morality. Embark on this starfaring adventure and witness the birth of legends in the deepest, darkest thralls of space—where every decision can mean the difference between the warm embrace of home and the cold infinity of the void.

Chasing Hubble's Shadows is an account of the continuing efforts of astronomers to probe the outermost limits of the observable universe. The book derives its title from something the great American astronomer Edwin Hubble once wrote: "Eventually, we reach the dim boundary—the utmost limits of our telescopes. There, we measure shadows, and we search among ghostly errors of measurement for landmarks that are scarcely more substantial." The quest for Hubble's "shadows"—those unimaginably distant, wispy traces of stars and galaxies that formed within the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang—takes us back, in effect, to the beginning of time as we are able to perceive it, when the first discrete stellar objects appeared out of what has lately come to be known as the "cosmic dark age." The information that is being gleaned from these dim sources—chiefly with the aid of Hubble's namesake, the Hubble Space Telescope—promises to yield clues to many cosmic puzzles, including the nature of the mysterious "dark energy" that is now believed to pervade all of space.

The first installment in the Far Star series, a swashbuckling space saga that introduces the daring pirate Blackhawk and the loyal crew of the Wolf’s Claw, from Jay Allan, the author of the bestselling Crimson Worlds saga. Smuggler and mercenary Arkarin Blackhawk and the crew of the ship Wolf’s Claw are freelance adventurers who live on the fringe of human society in the Far Stars. A veteran fighter as deadly with a blade as he is with a gun, Blackhawk is a man haunted by a dark past. Even his cynicism cannot banish the guilt and pain that threaten his sanity. Sent to rescue the kidnapped daughter of his longtime friend Marshal Augustin Lucerne, Blackhawk and his crew find themselves drawn into one deadly fight after another. When the Wolf’s Claw is damaged, they are forced to land on a remote planet subsumed by civil war. Pulled unwittingly into the conflict, they uncover disturbing information about secret imperial involvement that could upset the plans of Lucerne. For the Marshal is determined to forge a Far Stars Confederation powerful enough to eliminate all imperial influence and threats in the sector. He needs a skilled warrior like Blackhawk on his side, but the mercenary, plagued by dark memories from the past, refuses to join the cause. All too soon, though, he and his crew will have to take a stand.

Alphabet Squadron’s hunt for the deadliest TIE fighters in the galaxy continues in this Star Wars adventure! News of the New Republic’s victory still reverberates through the galaxy. In its wake, the capital ships of the newly legitimized galactic government journey to the farthest stars, seeking out and crushing the remnants of imperial tyranny. But some old ghosts are harder to banish than others. And none are more dangerous than Shadow Wing. Yrica Quell’s ragtag Alphabet Squadron still leads the search for Shadow Wing, but they’re no closer to their goal—and the pressure to find their quarry before it’s too late has begun to shake them apart. Determined to finish the fight once and for all, Quell works with New Republic Intelligence’s contentious Caern Adan and the legendary General Hera Syndulla to prepare the riskiest gambit of her starfighting career—a trap for Shadow Wing that could finish the chase once and for all. But in the darkness, their enemy has evolved. Soran Keize, last of the Imperial aces, has stepped into the power vacuum at the head of Shadow Wing, reinvigorating the faltering unit in their hour of need. Once adrift in the aftershocks of the war, Keize has found meaning again, leading the lost soldiers of his unit through to safety. The only thing standing in his way? The most mismatched squadron in the New Republic Navy, led by his former mentee: the traitor Yrica Quell.

The endless war is being fought on one of the 11 planets in their unusual solar system and the ten million remaining people of Unis know they were slowly being exterminated. No one knows if one of the other planets can provide a safe haven but if they do not escape they will surely die. The only space ship ever built is sent out with the last prayer of these desperate people. The new planet has mere remnants of the old and dying civilizations fighting to the last while Nature is slowly repairing the environment and resurfacing the world. Strange new creatures are evolving from the wastes the dead and the dying have left behind. Can Tangor repair his space ship with the detritus of the past? Should Tangor delay his return to help his new found friends? Would it be one struggle and one disappointment after another? Would Poloda's power amplifier still be operating for his return? Would truth, justice and the Unisian way survive?

In the course of one long-distance expedition, the research ship of the Archives discovers a planet with unique people, as if having no kinship with the rest of the humankind. The attempt to contact them ends tragically – nearly the whole crew dies, but the ship with artificial intelligence manages to come back to the Archives’ port with the information about the discovery. The strange race, which can be a nation of monsters from another Universe, is dying; there are no children born in their world, the population is decreasing, cities are becoming empty. Should they be helped or left to the mercy of fate?.. Perhaps, it will be better to eliminate these monsters, send them into nothingness quickly and painlessly. There are different opinions in the Great Galaxies as to what should be done. The Archives and the Monasteries secretly send another, well-armed expedition; its goal is to study the newly discovered world and take the decision. The ship is taking researchers to the far-off planet but they are not united: each of the six crew members has his/her preferences, goals and secrets.

A collection of essays that provide an overview of solar physics, discussing how scientists study the Sun and what they have discovered about various celestial phenomena.