The attempt to understand the universe's seemingly endless mysteries involves a process of discovery that can evoke fascination, frustration, and continual wonder and amazement. Planets, Stars, and Galaxies, Third Edition takes readers on an incredible full-color journey through the vast universe. This engaging title tackles the questions students studying science are eager to know: How large is the universe? Is it infinite or finite? What is its structure? Is it possible to visit other worlds, and if so, what similarities might they bear to our own world?

The latest discoveries about our universe to keep readers updated on the latest developments in space.

This book looks at answers to the biggest questions in astronomy – the questions of how the planets, stars, galaxies and the universe were formed. Over the last decade, a revolution in observational astronomy has produced possible answers to three of these questions. This book describes this revolution. The one question for which we still do not have an answer is the question of the origin of the universe. In the final chapter, the author looks at the connection between science and philosophy and shows how new scientific results have laid the groundwork for the first serious scientific studies of the origin of the universe.

Provides a history of scientific discovery about the birth of the universe.