Our eyes are the result of an evolutionary adaptation to the sun's light. Since the sun is a G dwarf and emits most of its light in only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum, our eyes are very limited in their capability to show us the universe. This book shows the fundamental change in our perception by covering the full spectrum of light. The authors' unique skill in both science and science communication allows for a popular writing style, with an emphasis on what cannot be seen with our eyes. They make many comparisons with high-color images to reveal what is actually taking place behind the veil. They also make good use of their access to the most striking images in the field, creating full-color illustrations as needed. In addition, boxes and diagrams provide overviews of the instruments used.
About the Author
Lars Lindberg Christensen is press officer of the International Astronomical Union, as well as IAU EC International Year of Astronomy 2009 Working Group Secretary. An astronomer by profession, he is a science communication specialist heading the Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre group, responsible for public outreach and education for the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in Europe. Robert (Bob) Fosbury is an astronomer working for the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of ESA's collaboration with NASA on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) project at ST-ECF. Bob also served on NASA's Ad Hoc Science Working Group and ESA's Study Science Team as they developed the instrument concepts for the James Webb Space Telescope, the next generation space observatory. Bon and Lars wrote the highly successful "Hubble - 15 Years of Discovery". Robert Hurt is professional artist, specialized on art in astronomy.