Cosmic Messengers
eBook - PDF

Cosmic Messengers

The Limits of Astronomy in an Unruly Universe

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Cosmic Messengers

The Limits of Astronomy in an Unruly Universe

About this book

Martin Harwit, author of the influential book Cosmic Discovery, asks key questions about the scope of observational astronomy. Humans have long sought to understand the world we inhabit. Recent realization of how our unruly Universe distorts information before it ever reaches us reveals distinct limits on how well we will ultimately understand the Cosmos. Even the best instruments we might conceive will inevitably be thwarted by ever more complex distortions and will never untangle the data completely. Observational astronomy, and the cost of pursuing it, will then have reached an inherent end. Only some totally different lines of approach, as yet unknown and potentially far more costly, might then need to emerge if we wish to learn more. This accessible book is written for all astronomers, astrophysicists, and those curious about how well we will ever understand the Universe and the potential costs of pushing those limits.

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Yes, you can access Cosmic Messengers by Martin Harwit in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Astronomy & Astrophysics. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright information
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. How to Read This Book
  9. Part I Instruments, Messengers, and Cosmic Messages
  10. Part II The Bounded Energies of Nature's Messengers
  11. Part III Parameters Specifying Individual Messengers
  12. Part IV The Pace of Progress
  13. Appendix: Symbols, Glossary, Units and Their Ranges
  14. Index