The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy;
Is it possible that extraterrestrial life forms exist within our Galaxy, the Milky Way? This book offers a critical analysis by leading experts in a range of sciences, of the plausibility that other intelligent lifeforms do exist. Exploration of the Solar System, and observations with telescopes that probe deep space, have come up empty handed in searches for evidence of extraterrestrial life.
Cosmic rays are an essential part of the universe. Their origin is related to many important astrophysical processes, such as star formation, stellar evolution, supernova explosions and the state of interstellar matter in the Galaxy. Cosmic Ray Physics reviews our present knowledge of cosmic rays, describing how they are born in a wide range of cosmic processes, how they are accelerated and how they interact with matter, magnetic fields and radiation during their journey across the Galaxy.
We always thought of ourselves as being at the center of the Universe and at rest. It was not until very recently that Copernicus explained how our Earth is orbiting the Sun and that the Sun, not the Earth, is at the center of our solar system. Today’s theories such as Einstein’s special and general relativity, still believe that we and our galaxy, are at the center of the Universe. In fact, relativity with its “cosmological principle” claims that any observer on any galaxy in the Universe can consider him or herself at the center and at rest.
The Universe: A Historical Survey Of Beliefs, Theories, And LawsOn the cover: Theories and beliefs about the cosmos have been nearly as vast as the universe itself, covering everything from the birth of a single star to the discovery of objects such as the Galaxy Triplet ARP 274 (pictured).
