The Universe: The book of the BBC TV series presented by Professor Brian Cox by Andrew Cohen

The Universe: The book of the BBC TV series presented by Professor Brian Cox by Andrew Cohen examines the remarkable activity visible in the night sky, from diamond planets and “zombie” stars to black holes heavier than a billion Suns. It brings together a wide range of cosmic phenomena, each presented with its own story, within a Universe that continues to challenge what we think we know about our place in it.

Featuring a foreword by Professor Brian Cox and drawing on NASA photography, the book follows the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy. It looks at how the Milky Way formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the black hole at its centre, before turning to the expanding Universe beyond and the clues it offers about how everything began and what the fate of the Universe may be.

Key details

• Author: Andrew Cohen
• Companion book to the BBC TV series presented by Professor Brian Cox
• Foreword by Professor Brian Cox
• Includes NASA photography

Synopsis

Earth was once believed to be unique, yet thousands of alien planets have now been discovered, representing only a small fraction of the worlds that exist. With more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System, the Milky Way, our Sun and Earth remain home to the only known life in the Universe, at least for now.

The book traces the tools and missions used to explore our galaxy and beyond, outlining how the Milky Way formed and how it will ultimately be destroyed by the black hole at its centre. It also considers the expanding Universe and what is known about the first moments of existence, where clues may lie to the fate of everything within it.