The Milky Way is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe. Yet by exploring the galaxy we call home, we have been able to uncover some of the universe's many unknowns. This illuminating volume carefully breaks down the features of the Milky Way galaxy. It explains such characteristics as size, shape, and age; examines planets, stars, and star clusters; and delves into such concepts as black holes and dark matter. Important terms are explained,...

"After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, the Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it. It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma...

Introduces exoplanets, examining the planets outside of our solar system, discussing what makes them habitable, and exploring the efforts to discover new life.

Disc 1: Tour the surface of Earth's life-giving star. Mars may be the future of humanity - uses data collected from probes and robotic rovers. Scars on the planet's surface and in its fossil record illustrate the threat posed by meteorites, comets, and asteroids that routinely collide with Earth. Two and a half times the size of all the other planets in the solar system combined, and half a billion miles from Earth, Jupiter is a colossal riddle. Disc...

"Introduces the basics of outer space, from the sun and planets of the solar system to shapes and patterns found in space." --Provided by publisher.