简介：Asix-partseriesthatexploresthelivesandworkofscientistsaroundtheglobe.Theseriesgoestothefarthestreachesoftheuniverseinsearchofblackholes,quasars,darkmatter,gravitywaves,stars,andevidenceofplanetsoutsideoursolarsystem.Thesecelestialphenomenaareexploredthroughtheperspectiveofthemenandwomenwhouncoverthesecretsofthecosmos.Part1:"WhereistheRestoftheUniverse?"Astronomersareunabletoaccountfornearly90percentoftheuniverse'smass.Part2:"SearchingforBlackHoles."Quasarsarethecoresofdistantandextremelypowerfulgalaxieshundredsoftimesmoreluminousthanordinaryones.Manyscientistsbelievethatasuper-massiveblackholeistheonlythingthatcangeneratesuchincredibleenergyinsuchasmallspace.AninternationalteamofastronomerslinkssixradiotelescopesinEuropeandAmericainordertolookdeepintotheheartofoneofthesegalaxies.Part3:"AWindowtoCreation."Howdidtheuniversebeginanddeveloptoitspresentform?Scientistshopetounravelthemysteriesofcosmologybystudyingtheresidualheat,or"cosmicbackgroundradiation,"fromtheoriginalbigbang.TwoBerkeleyprofessorsgotoJapanforthelaunchofarocketthatwillrecordcosmicbackgroundradiationawayfromtheeffectsofatmosphereabsorption.Alsofeaturedisademonstrationofa3-DgalaxymappingtechniqueattheHarvard-SmithsonianCenterforAstrophysics.Part4:"WavesoftheFuture."Gravitationalwavesareripplesinthefabricofspace-time.FirstdescribedbyAlbertEinstein,thesewaveshaveyettobedetectedormeasured.TwotheoristsatCaltechspeculateaboutgravitywavesandbuildaprototypelaserinterferometer.Part5:"Stardust."Starsareborn,theylive,andtheydie.Severalastronomersinvestigateallthreestagesandthemysteriesthatsurroundthelifecycleofstars.Part6:"ProspectingforPlanets."Arewealoneintheuniverse?Someastronomersusetelescopestosearchforotherplanetsthatmightpromotelife.WrittenbyFionaKelleghan…