The Farthest Things in the Universe [Paperback]

This book, first published in 1994, examines the excitement and challenge of studying the most distant and powerful objects.Chosen for their ability to communicate at a popular level, four world experts contribute chapters to this lucid survey of the fundamental issues of scale in the universe--ranging from the ghostly etchings seen on the cosmic background radiation to quasars and their evolution and galaxy birth.Chosen for their ability to communicate at a popular level, four world experts contribute chapters to this lucid survey of the fundamental issues of scale in the universe--ranging from the ghostly etchings seen on the cosmic background radiation to quasars and their evolution and galaxy birth.The quest for the farthest objects in the Universe remains one of the most challenging areas of modern astronomical research. Peering deeper and deeper into space reveals the most distant and powerful objects known and so unveils the embryonic epochs of the Universe not long after its birth in the Big Bang. Four world experts--chosen for their ability to communicate research astronomy at a popular level--each contributes a chapter to this lucid survey. They address the fundamental issues of scale in the Universe; the ghostly etchings seen on the cosmic background radiation; quasars and their evolution; and galaxy birth. This fascinating and accessible account offers an exceptional chance for the general audience to share in the excitement of today's forefront research of the early Universe.Preface; 1. Observing the farthest things in the universe Jay M. Pasachoff; 2. The cosmic background radiation Ed Cheng; 3. Quasars Patrick S. Osmer; 4. Galaxies at the limit: the epoch of galaxy formation Hyron Spinrad; Index. Those who want authoritative reviews of the specific areas discussed will not be disappointed. Malcolm Longair, Nature