Collins encyclopedia of the universe - Ian Ridpath

A lavishly illustrated guide to the Universe and the laws that govern it

This new highly illustrated encyclopedia sets out to explain how the Universe works and to describe every feature - a unique undertaking in a single volume. It covers the discovery and explanation of the universe from the Ancient Greeks - who thought that the night literally had a thousand eyes sewn onto a mantle by the celestial nightwatchman Argos - up to the present day understanding of black holes, worm holes and the theoretical development of time machines. The book is designed to bring all the history and concepts to life providing an up to date explanation of how the universe works.

The book is divided into eight main chapters:
Explore the Universe
History of Astronomy
Laws of Time and Space
Quantum Mechanics
The Past Present and Future of the Universe
What's in the Universe
Watching the Sky
Space Exploration
Reference Section

From Miletus, via Copernicus, to Stephen Hawking it provides the most up-to-date knowledge on the universe for a wide range of readers - science buffs, students, amateur astronomers - as well being a completely comprehensive family reference work.