Govert Schilling

An acclaimed science writer tells the story of cosmic projectiles that may be on a collision course with our Earth. The impact of an asteroid led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Could another giant cosmic missile soon be heading our way? In Target Earth, acclaimed Dutch astronomy writer Govert Schilling provides a full account of what we know, and need to know, about all the extraterrestrial matter constantly bombarding our planet from microscopic dust particles and space debris to massive meteorites, comets, and asteroids. Drawing upon the latest scientific discoveries, Schilling explores virtually every aspect of cosmic impacts from small meteorites to devastating collisions, from the craters that marked our planet s surface to the impacts that left their mark on other celestial bodies, and from searches for near-miss lumps of rock to ways of protecting humanity from an assault from the cosmos. Along the way, he considers near misses in the past and the possibility of others in the future and ponders the positive side of these visitations from space: If our planet had not been the target of cosmic rubble from its very formation, life on Earth would likely never have gotten started.

Join award-winning astronomy writer Govert Schilling on a journey through space and time to the most far-reaching corners of the universe in this stunning photographic voyage into deep space.This one-of-a-kind trip begins inside our own solar system with a brief tour of the sun, the planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets. We then accelerate into deep space and, with Schilling as our guide, we explore the birth of stars in the Orion and Carina Nebulae; the death of stars, from red giants to catastrophic supernova explosions; and galaxies and galaxy clusters beyond our own including spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, and lenticular galaxies. We learn about supermassive black holes, which astronomers now believe exist at the center of every galaxy including our own, and exoplanets, billions of which are believed to be orbiting stars in the Milky Way and beyond. The book concludes at the edge of the cosmological horizon with a look at dark matter, dark energy, and theories of extraterrestrial life and the Multiverse.With hundreds of photographs, including new images from the James Webb Space Telescope, and custom illustrations throughout, as well as a star atlas that shows the full celestial sky, Deep Space is the perfect book for astronomy buffs, students, and anyone fascinated with the mystery and beauty of the cosmos.

The entire universe in one practical, easy-to-use, easy-to-understand handbook.An essential guide for every amateur astronomer.The Astronomy Handbook, by award-winning astronomy writer Govert Schilling, is the indispensable, go-to guide to everything you ever wanted or need to know about space, including:- the stars and the constellations- planets- comets- eclipses- galaxies- black holes- exoplanets- and much more It also offers an excellent education for every amateur astronomer, including detailed and practical information on how to:- locate and track the movements of the constellations throughout the year- view the planets and the cosmos- select the best equipment to use, including telescopes and cameras- photograph objects in space Schilling provides a fascinating history of astronomy, as well as clear and accessible explanations of binary, variable, and neutron stars; black holes and gamma-ray bursts; the formation and structure of galaxies; dark matter; and extra-terrestrial life. The Astronomy Handbook is a primordial soup-to-nuts guide to the cosmos and an essential reference for every student of the universe.

A Seminary Co-op Notable BookA BBC Sky at Night Best Book“An impressively comprehensive bird’s-eye view of a research topic that is both many decades established and yet still at the very cutting edge of astronomy and physics.”—Katie Mack, Wall Street Journal“Schilling has craftily combined his lucid and accessible descriptions of science with the personal story of those unlocking the finer details of the missing mass mystery. The result is enthralling…A captivating scientific thriller.”—BBC Sky at Night“Fascinating…A thorough and sometimes troubling account of the hunt for dark matter…You will come away with a very good understanding of how the universe works. Well, our universe, anyway.”—Michael Brooks, New ScientistWhen you train a telescope on outer space, you can see luminous galaxies, nebulae, stars, and planets. But if you add all that together, it constitutes only 15 percent of the matter in the universe. Despite decades of research, the nature of the remaining 85 percent is unknown. We call it dark matter.Physicists have devised huge, sensitive instruments to search for dark matter, which may be unlike anything else in the cosmos—some unknown elementary particle. Yet so far dark matter has escaped every experiment. It is so elusive that some scientists are beginning to suspect there might be something wrong with our theories about gravity or with the current paradigms of cosmology. Govert Schilling interviews believers and heretics and paints a colorful picture of the history and current status of dark matter research. The Elephant in the Universe is a vivid tale of scientists puzzling their way toward the true nature of the universe.

A sweeping tour of the galaxies, from our Milky Way to infinity. Galaxies are glittering islands in the Universe, interwoven in the web of Dark Matter. From Earth’s mountaintops enormous telescopes peer deep beyond the Milky Way, while space telescopes locate majestic images, and through seemingly miraculous technology, capture them for us to look at and learn with amazement. Featuring the most recent, best, and even startling images with detailed captions highlighting accessible text, Galaxies shows the restless universe beyond our atmosphere. Photographs are from more than 30 of the world’s largest ground-based telescopes, including the largest to date, the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. Images are also featured from the Hubble Space Telescope, which has continued to operate long past its expected life and to astound and astonish stargazers worldwide. Here is the glory of the galaxies: The Milky Way, our Galaxy — Stellar Nurseries, Stars and Planets, When Stars Die; In the Heart of the Milky Way; Mapping the Milky Way; Our Galactic Neighborhood — The Magellanic Clouds; the Andromeda Galaxy; The Triangulum Galaxy; Satellite Galaxies; How far away are the stars? The Gallery of Galaxies — Spiral Galaxies; Barred Spiral Galaxies; Elliptical, Lenticular and Dwarf Galaxies; Dark Matter; The Expanding Universe; Monsters and Black Holes — Twisting Galaxies; Colliding Galaxies; Active Galactic Nuclei and Quasars; Supermassive Black Holes; Giant Eyes for the Sky; Clusters of Galaxies — Cosmic Clusters; Gravitational Lensing; Dark Forces; The Large-scale Structure of the Universe; Looking Back in Time; Birth and Evolution — At the Edge of Space and Time; The First Galaxies; The Beginning of the Universe; Dark Energy; Cosmology.

An award-winning science journalist details the quest to isolate and understand dark matter—and shows how that search has helped us to understand the universe we inhabit.When you train a telescope on outer space, you can see luminous galaxies, nebulae, stars, and planets. But if you add all that together, it constitutes only 15 percent of the matter in the universe. Despite decades of research, the nature of the remaining 85 percent is unknown. We call it dark matter.In The Elephant in the Universe, Govert Schilling explores the fascinating history of the search for dark matter. Evidence for its existence comes from a wealth of astronomical observations. Theories and computer simulations of the evolution of the universe are also suggestive: they can be reconciled with astronomical measurements only if dark matter is a dominant component of nature. Physicists have devised huge, sensitive instruments to search for dark matter, which may be unlike anything else in the cosmos—some unknown elementary particle. Yet so far dark matter has escaped every experiment. Indeed, dark matter is so elusive that some scientists are beginning to suspect there might be something wrong with our theories about gravity or with the current paradigms of cosmology. Schilling interviews both believers and heretics and paints a colorful picture of the history and current status of dark matter research, with astronomers and physicists alike trying to make sense of theory and observation.Taking a holistic view of dark matter as a problem, an opportunity, and an example of science in action, The Elephant in the Universe is a vivid tale of scientists puzzling their way toward the true nature of the universe.

In CONSTELLATIONS, award-winning astronomy writer Govert Schilling takes us on an unprecedented visual tour of all 88 constellations in our night sky. Much more than just a stargazer's guide, CONSTELLATIONS is complete history of astronomy as told by Schilling through the lens of each constellation. The book is organized alphabetically by constellation. Profiles of each constellation include basic information such as size, visibility, and number of stars, as well as information on the discovery and naming of the constellation and associated lore. Beyond details about the constellation itself is information about every astronomical event that took place or discovery made in the vicinity of the constellation. In the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan) we encounter the location of the first confirmed black hole. A stop at Gemini (the Twins) is a chance to say hello to the dwarf planet Pluto, and in Orion (the hunter) we find the location of the first identified gamma-ray burst.Stunning star maps throughout the book by acclaimed star mapmaker Wil Tirion show us the exact location of every constellation, the details of its structure, as well as its surrounding astronomical neighbors.

A Physics Today Best Book of the YearA Forbes “For the Physics and Astronomy Lover in Your Life” Selection“Succinct, accessible, and remarkably timely… This book is a rare find.”—Physics Today“Belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in learning the scientific, historical, and personal stories behind some of the most incredible scientific advances of the 21st century.”—ForbesThe detection of gravitational waves has already been called the scientific breakthrough of the century. Einstein predicted these tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime over a hundred years ago, but they were only recently perceived directly for the first time. Ripples in Spacetime is an engaging account of the international effort to complete Einstein’s project, capture his elusive ripples, and launch an era of gravitational-wave astronomy that promises to explain, more vividly than ever before, our universe’s structure and origin.“Schilling’s deliciously nerdy grand tour takes us through compelling backstory, current research, and future expectations.”—Nature“A lively and readable account… Schilling underlines that this discovery is the opening of a new window on the universe, the beginning of a new branch of science.”—Graham Farmelo, The Guardian

Offers a unique combination of informative text, magnificent illustrations and stylish design Examines the 100 most important discoveries since the invention of the telescope Features spectacular photographs, taken with the largest telescopes on Earth and in space, that portray distant corners of the universe Author Govert Schilling is a renowned astronomy journalist and science communicator In his Atlas of Astronomical Discoveries, astronomy journalist Govert Schilling tells the story of 400 years of telescopic astronomy. He looks at the 100 most important discoveries since the invention of the telescope. Doing what Schilling does best, he takes the reader on an adventure through both space and time. Photographs and amazing pictures line the pages of this book, offering the reader an escape from this world and an invitation to a world far beyond what the unaided human eye can detect.

Ever since the serendipitous discovery of planet Uranus in 1871, astronomers have been hunting for new worlds in the outer regions of our solar system. This exciting and ongoing quest culminated recently in the discovery of hundreds of ice dwarfs in the Kuiper belt, robbed Pluto from its ‘planet’ status, and led to a better understanding of the origin of the solar system. This timely book reads like a scientific ‘who done it’, going from the heights of discovery to the depths of disappointment in the hunt for ‘Planet X’. Based on many personal interviews with astronomers, the well-known science writer Govert Schilling introduces the heroes in the race to be the first in finding another world, bigger than Pluto.

Govert Schilling, giornalista scientifico olandese, autore di una quarantina di libri, collaboratore di riviste prestigiose come Science, New Scientist, Sky & Telescope, non solo è un divulgatore preciso e scrupoloso, ma ha pure una scrittura raffinata ed avvincente capace di presentare ogni scoperta scientifica per quello che è: una straordinaria avventura della mente. Il libro coglie lo spunto del declassamento di Plutone quale pianeta per raccontare le più recenti scoperte effettuate ai confini del Sistema Solare, con l’osservazione di centinaia di nuovi corpi celesti come Quaoar, Sedna, Xena, Eris. Quanti sono veramente i pianeti del Sistema Solare? Quanto è concreto il pericolo per la Terra di un impatto asteroidale? Esiste Nemesis, la stella compagna del Sole? Questi sono alcuni degli argomenti che Schilling affronta con il suo stile caratteristico: raccontare i fatti scientifici attraverso gli uomini che ne sono i protagonisti.

Ever since the serendipitous discovery of planet Uranus in 1871, astronomers have been hunting for new worlds in the outer regions of our solar system. This exciting and ongoing quest culminated recently in the discovery of hundreds of ice dwarfs in the Kuiper belt, robbed Pluto from its ‘planet’ status, and led to a better understanding of the origin of the solar system. This timely book reads like a scientific ‘who done it’, going from the heights of discovery to the depths of disappointment in the hunt for ‘Planet X’. Based on many personal interviews with astronomers, the well-known science writer Govert Schilling introduces the heroes in the race to be the first in finding another world, bigger than Pluto.