The most comprehensive book ever written on the Andromeda Galaxy is here! Written for the serious amateur, fully illustrated with beautiful color photographs, a complete history and the latest research findings. Help and guidance is provided for the amateur astronomer. This book is destined to become a standard reference book in astronomy.

The Andromeda Galaxy, or M31, is an attractive galaxy for astronomers. It is close to us, it is of about the size of our galaxy, it provides some intriguing observational puzzles because the galaxy is nearly edge-on, and many objects can be studied in detail, because they are still sufficiently bright. With the current developments in instrumentation with which increasingly detailed studies of the Andromeda Galaxy can be made, this book provides a solid foundation for the start of new observations. This book is a mine of information about M31. It can be used as a reference by insiders, and at the same time it provides easy access for newcomers to the field.

A practical guide to viewing the universe.

An accessible introduction to astronomy for readers of all ages.

Let Lonely Planet take you further than ever before with the world's first and only travel guide to the Universe. Developed with the latest data from NASA, we take you from our home on Earth and out into the far reaches of the solar system, then into our neighbouring stars and planetary systems, and finally into the rest of our galaxy and the Universe. This fascinating journey will help you explore space as you would the world with a Lonely Planet guide. Unique to these pages are wonderful comparisons of Earth with the other worlds of our solar system and even those exoplanets orbiting other stars. You'll discover as much as we know about our celestial neighbourhood, and our place in it. In addition to planets and moons, get to know our Sun, explore the asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt, and learn what lays beyond, in interstellar space. Outside our solar system, travel to some of the notable neighbouring stars, stellar systems and exoplanets we've discovered. You'll understand how we search for planets where life might exist and the stars they orbit. Finally, discover the edge of the observable Universe. Get to know the structure of the Milky Way as well as an orientation to neighbouring galaxies like the Andromeda Galaxy which is visible from Earth. Then explore other galactic formations and learn about galactic clusters and superclusters. By the end of the book, you'll have a sense for the structure of the entire Universe as well as some of the big questions we still have as we ponder our place in it. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

The ultimate guide to the final frontier This alphabetical tour of the universe provides all the history, science, and up-to-the-minute facts needed to explore the skies with authority. Packed with more than 3,000 entries that cover everything from major observatories and space telescopes to biographies of astronomers throughout the ages, it showcases an extraordinary array of newfound wonders, including microquasars, brown dwarfs, and dark energy, as well as a host of individual comets, asteroids, moons, planets, stars, nebulas, and galaxies. Featuring nearly 200 illustrations and eight pages of color photographs, this comprehensive guide provides easy lookup of topics and offers more in-depth information than can be found in existing star guides or astronomy dictionaries. It's an ideal resource for the amateur astronomer or anyone with an interest in the mysteries of the cosmos. David Darling, PhD (Brainerd, MN), is the author of The Complete Book of Spaceflight and Equations of Eternity, a New York Times Notable Book.

“Impey combines the vision of a practicing scientist with the voice of a gifted storyteller.”—Dava Sobel In this vibrant, eye-opening tour of milestones in the history of our universe, Chris Impey guides us through space and time, leading us from the familiar sights of the night sky to the dazzlingly strange aftermath of the Big Bang. What if we could look into space and see not only our place in the universe but also how we came to be here? As it happens, we can. Because it takes time for light to travel, we see more and more distant regions of the universe as they were in the successively greater past. Impey uses this concept—"look-back time"—to take us on an intergalactic tour that is simultaneously out in space and back in time. Performing a type of cosmic archaeology, Impey brilliantly describes the astronomical clues that scientists have used to solve fascinating mysteries about the origins and development of our universe. The milestones on this journey range from the nearby to the remote: we travel from the Moon, Jupiter, and the black hole at the heart of our galaxy all the way to the first star, the first ray of light, and even the strange, roiling conditions of the infant universe, an intense and volatile environment in which matter was created from pure energy. Impey gives us breathtaking visual descriptions and also explains what each landmark can reveal about the universe and its history. His lucid, wonderfully engaging scientific discussions bring us to the brink of modern cosmology and physics, illuminating such mind-bending concepts as invisible dimensions, timelessness, and multiple universes. A dynamic and unforgettable portrait of the cosmos, How It Began will reward its readers with a deeper understanding of the universe we inhabit as well as a renewed sense of wonder at its beauty and mystery.