Chasing Hubble's Shadows: The Search for Galaxies at the Edge of Time.

CHASING HUBBLE'S SHADOWS: The Search for Galaxies at the Edge of Time JEFF KANIPE

Part history, part detective story, and even part travelogue, this is astronomy journalist Kanipe's attempt to explain cosmology to the average reader. First, the definition: Cosmology is the branch of astronomy that studies the origin, evolution, and structure of the universe. The author recounts the field's history, presents interviews with astronomers, and takes readers on a trip to the 10-meter Keck telescopes atop Hawaii's Mauna Kea. The largest part of the book, however, is devoted to explaining the early life of the universe. After the Big Bang, the universe had a dark age dominated by light-blocking hydrogen gas. AS the gas began to coalesce, new stars burned off the hydrogen fog. After this process, the now-transparent universe evolved galaxies, including our own solar system. With the author's obvious enjoyment of the subject matter and his ability to explain difficult concepts, this book will be both instructive and enjoyable for anyone with an interest in the night skies. Hill and Wang, 2006, 224 p., color photos, hardcover, $24.00.