In this approachable and fascinating biography of the galaxy, an astrophysicist and folklorist details everything humans have discovered-from the Milky Way's formation to its eventual death, and what else there is to learn about the universe we call home.

The tide is important to Earth's climate, the biological productivity of our seas, and our hunt for renewable energy sources. It is also thought to have played a role in the evolution of life on Earth. This book explains the nature and cause of the tide, its observation and prediction, unusual tides, and their relevance to us.

A look at the competing notions of time in the middle ages, from the spiritual - death, the Last Judgement - to the practical - lawyers' calculations, clocks and calendars.

What is time? This book describes the developing physics of the concept of time from Newton, via Einstein, to the present day, and the related philosophical aspects. It also discusses the psychological experience of time and insights from cognitive science.

This unique and best-selling guidebook to the night sky shows amateur astronomers how to observe a host of celestial wonders. Its distinct format of object-by-object spreads illustrates how deep-sky objects and planets will actually look in a small telescope, with large pages and spiral binding for ease of use outside.

This book explores how all areas of physics come together to form our current understanding of the Universe. It takes readers on a fascinating journey, from the Big Bang and how the Universe has evolved, to how it appears now, and the possibilities for how it will continue to evolve in the future.