Overview

A BBC Sky at Night Best Astronomy and Space Book of the Year “[A] luminous guide to the cosmos…Jo Dunkley swoops from Earth to the observable limits, then explores stellar life cycles, dark matter, cosmic evolution and the soup-to-nuts history of the Universe.” —Nature “A grand tour of space and time, from our nearest planetary neighbors to the edge of the observable Universe…If you feel like refreshing your background knowledge…this little gem certainly won’t disappoint.” —Govert Schilling, BBC Sky at Night Most of us have heard of black holes and supernovas, galaxies and the Big Bang. But few understand more than the bare facts about the universe we call home. What is really out there? How did it all begin? Where are we going? Jo Dunkley begins in Earth’s neighborhood, explaining the nature of the Solar System, the stars in our night sky, and the Milky Way. She traces the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang fourteen billion years ago, past the birth of the Sun and our planets, to today and beyond. She then explains cutting-edge debates about such perplexing phenomena as the accelerating expansion of the universe and the possibility that our universe is only one of many. Our Universe conveys with authority and grace the thrill of scientific discovery and a contagious enthusiasm for the endless wonders of space-time.

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Reviews

This book is simply superb-beautifully written and very clear. It incorporates all the major recent results, and indicates what might come from telescopes now being built. -- Jocelyn Bell Burnell, University of Oxford Jo Dunkley is an amiable guide to the universe, but there's no dawdling in this fast-paced tour. This slender volume whisks you from our own blue marble out to the edge of the universe and the beginning of time. Dunkley is especially good at explaining how the whispers from the Big Bang itself tell us about dark matter and dark energy and hint at its explosive origin in cosmic inflation. -- Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard University A grand overview of modern cosmology from one of the leaders in the field. Dunkley guides us through astronomical history, at every stage explaining the twists and turns and surprises, right up to the most recent discoveries. Readers will have a real appreciation of the most exciting developments in astrophysics of the last millennium, the last century, and the last year. -- Michael Strauss, Princeton University Jo Dunkley takes us on a fantastic journey through our universe-elegantly weaving together history and the latest scientific discoveries. On her way, she subtly restores all the forgotten women scientists to their rightful places in what has been a male-dominated story until now. -- Andrea Wulf, author of <i>The Invention of Nature</i> Jo Dunkley is an internationally acclaimed cosmologist. She is also a fine expositor, and this book splendidly conveys what we've learnt about the universe, and the exhilarating progress we can expect in coming decades. -- Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal of Great Britain A fascinating, accessible introduction to the universe, covering topics ranging from the Big Bang and the 'cosmic dawn' of the first stars to the ongoing search for exoplanets and for dark matter and energy...Dunkley gives readers a commanding view onto the universe and the wonders to be found in it. * Publishers Weekly * What with all the commonly appearing stories about space making their way into both the old and new news media these days, an understanding of just what we presently know about what's 'out there,' how we presently think it formed, how it all works together, and where it's all going is not only fascinating, it also helps to keep things in perspective. -- Johannes E. Riutta * Well-Read Naturalist * Provides a high-level overview of our understanding of the universe that is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with astrophysics. -- Jeff Foust * Space Review * Combining observational cosmology with a solid theoretical framework, Dunkley's Our Universe takes us on a cosmic tour...This is a book any future observational or theoretical astrophysicist would love to have. -- Ethan Siegel * Forbes * Dunkley takes her readers on a grand tour of space and time, from our nearest planetary neighbors to the edge of the observable Universe...If you feel like refreshing your background knowledge, or are looking for a present for your curious niece or nephew, this little gem certainly won't disappoint. -- Govert Schilling * BBC Sky at Night * This luminous guide to the cosmos encapsulates myriad discoveries. Astrophysicist Jo Dunkley swoops from Earth to the observable limits, then explores stellar life cycles, dark matter, cosmic evolution, and the soup-to-nuts history of the Universe. No less a thrill are her accounts of tenth-century Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, twentieth- and twenty-first-century researchers Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Vera Rubin, and many more. * Nature *

A fascinating, accessible introduction to the universe, covering topics ranging from the Big Bang and the 'cosmic dawn' of the first stars to the ongoing search for exoplanets and for dark matter and energy...Dunkley gives readers a commanding view onto the universe and the wonders to be found in it.--Publishers Weekly (02/25/2019) A grand overview of modern cosmology from one of the leaders in the field. Dunkley guides us through astronomical history, at every stage explaining the twists and turns and surprises, right up to the most recent discoveries. Readers will have a real appreciation of the most exciting developments in astrophysics of the last millennium, the last century, and the last year.--Michael Strauss, Princeton University Dunkley takes her readers on a grand tour of space and time, from our nearest planetary neighbors to the edge of the observable Universe...If you feel like refreshing your background knowledge, or are looking for a present for your curious niece or nephew, this little gem certainly won't disappoint.--Govert Schilling BBC Sky at Night (12/04/2019) Jo Dunkley is an amiable guide to the universe, but there's no dawdling in this fast-paced tour. This slender volume whisks you from our own blue marble out to the edge of the universe and the beginning of time. Dunkley is especially good at explaining how the whispers from the Big Bang itself tell us about dark matter and dark energy and hint at its explosive origin in cosmic inflation.--Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard University Jo Dunkley is an internationally acclaimed cosmologist. She is also a fine expositor, and this book splendidly conveys what we've learnt about the universe, and the exhilarating progress we can expect in coming decades.--Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal of Great Britain Provides a high-level overview of our understanding of the universe that is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with astrophysics.--Jeff Foust Space Review (04/22/2019) This book is simply superb--beautifully written and very clear. It incorporates all the major recent results, and indicates what might come from telescopes now being built.--Jocelyn Bell Burnell, University of Oxford This luminous guide to the cosmos encapsulates myriad discoveries. Astrophysicist Jo Dunkley swoops from Earth to the observable limits, then explores stellar life cycles, dark matter, cosmic evolution and the soup-to-nuts history of the Universe. No less a thrill are her accounts of tenth-century Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, twentieth- and twenty-first-century researchers Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Vera Rubin, and many more.-- (01/16/2019) What with all the commonly appearing stories about space making their way into both the old and new news media these days, an understanding of just what we presently know about what's 'out there, ' how we presently think it formed, how it all works together, and where it's all going is not only fascinating, it also helps to keep things in perspective.--Johannes E. Riutta Well-Read Naturalist (05/11/2019) Jo Dunkley takes us on a fantastic journey through our universe--elegantly weaving together history and the latest scientific discoveries. On her way, she subtly restores all the forgotten women scientists to their rightful places in what has been a male-dominated story until now.--Andrea Wulf, author of The Invention of Nature Combining observational cosmology with a solid theoretical framework, Dunkley's Our Universe takes us on a cosmic tour...This is a book any future observational or theoretical astrophysicist would love to have.--Ethan Siegel Forbes (11/29/2019)

Author Information

Jo Dunkley is Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. She has won awards from the Royal Astronomical Society, the Institute of Physics, and the Royal Society for her work on the origins and evolution of the universe.

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