‘So staggering you go “whoa!” every few seconds’ Guardian‘Really impressive’ Eamonn Holmes, ITV This MorningA companion book to the critically acclaimed BBC series.The bestselling authors of Wonders of the Universe are back with another blockbuster, a groundbreaking exploration of our Solar System as it has never been seen before.Mercury, a lifeless victim of the Sun’s expanding power. Venus, once thought to be lush and fertile, now known to be trapped within a toxic and boiling atmosphere. Mars, the red planet, doomed by the loss of its atmosphere. Jupiter, twice the size of all the other planets combined, but insubstantial. Saturn, a stunning celestial beauty, the jewel of our Solar System. Uranus, the sideways planet and the first ice giant. Neptune, dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds. Pluto, the dwarf planet, a frozen rock.Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox take readers on a voyage of discovery, from the fiery heart of our Solar System, to its mysterious outer reaches. They touch on the latest discoveries that have expanded our knowledge of the planets, their moons and how they come to be, alongside recent stunning and mind-boggling NASA photography. Read more

A brilliant introductory guide to exploring the night sky, from the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich.Offering complete advice from the ground up, Stargazing is the perfect manual for beginners to astronomy – introducing the world of telescopes, planets, stars, dark skies and celestial maps.Discover how to tackle light pollution, how to stargaze with just your eyes, and what equipment is best for beginners.Astronomy experts Radmila Topalovic and Tom Kerss explain the best ways to plan your stargazing experience and the key things to look out for on specific dates throughout the year.With seasonal star charts, constellation charts and facts about our Solar System, Stargazing is packed of useful information and guidance for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.Bridging the gap between human curiosity and the need for scientific expertise, Stargazing allows a complete novice to understand our place in the cosmos and enjoy the beautiful and extraordinary wonders of the night sky.The perfect companion to the best-selling Guide to the Night Sky from Collins, Stargazing is a great way to get started in the fascinating world of astronomy.Download your free resource booklet to follow the star chart explanations on the Stargazing audiobook – visit collins.co.uk/stargazing-booklet Read more

A Brief History of Time for the 21st CenturyAt the heart of our galaxy lies a monster so deadly, not even light can escape its grasp. Its secrets lie waiting to be discovered. It’s time to explore our universe’s most mysterious inhabitantsBlack HolesAt the heart of the Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole 4 million times more massive than our Sun. A place where space and time are so warped that light is trapped if it ventures within 12 million km. According to Einstein, inside lies the end of time. According to 21st-century physics, the reality may be far more bizarre.Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are naturally occurring objects, the inevitable creations of gravity when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail fully to describe them.Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics collide. Originally thought to be so intellectually troubling that they simply could not exist, it is only in the past few years that we have begun to glimpse a new synthesis; a deep connection between gravity and quantum information theory that describes a holographic universe in which space and time emerge from a network of quantum bits, and wormholes span the void.In this groundbreaking book, Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw take you to the edge of our understanding of black holes; a scientific journey to the research frontier spanning a century of physics, from Einstein to Hawking and beyond, that ends with the startling conclusion that our world may operate like a giant quantum computer. Read more

'A wonderful book about Stephen Hawking's biggest legacy' Spectator'Truly mind-stretching... Immensely rewarding' The Times'This superbly written book offers insight into an extraordinary individual, the creative process, and the scope and limits of our current understanding of the cosmos' Sir Martin ReesStephen Hawking's closest collaborator offers the intellectual superstar's final thoughts on the universe.Perhaps the biggest question Stephen Hawking tried to answer in his extraordinary life was how the universe could have created conditions so perfectly hospitable to life. In order to solve this mystery, Hawking studied the big bang origin of the universe, but his early work ran into a crisis when the math predicted many big bangs producing a multiverse - countless different universes, most of which would be far too bizarre to harbour life.Holed up in the theoretical physics department at Cambridge, Stephen Hawking and his friend and collaborator Thomas Hertog worked on this problem for twenty years, developing a new theory of the cosmos that could account for the emergence of life.Peering into the extreme quantum physics of cosmic holograms and venturing far back in time, they were startled to find a deeper level of evolution in which the physical laws themselves transform and simplify until particles, forces, and even time itself fades away. This discovery led them to a revolutionary idea: The laws of physics are not set in stone but are born and co-evolve as the universe they govern takes shape. As Hawking's final days drew near, the two collaborators published their theory, which proposed a radical new Darwinian perspective on the origins of our universe.On the Origin of Time offers a striking new vision of the universe's birth that will profoundly transform the way we think about our place in the order of the cosmos and may ultimately prove to be Hawking's greatest legacy. Read more

Professor Stephen Hawking is generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers. Here, his phenomenal bestseller A Brief History of Time is illustrated to bring his theories to life in a clear, captivating and visually engaging way.'This book marries a child's wonder to a genius's intellect. We journey into Hawking's universe, while marvelling at his mind' - The Sunday Times'Stephen Hawking can explain the complexities of cosmological physics with an engaging combination of clarity and wit...' - Observer'Exceptional writing explaining the mysteries and beauty of our universe. The book is very fascinating and highly enjoyable. Highly recommended' - ***** Reader review'This book is mind blowing' - ***** Reader review'A masterpiece' - ***** Reader review********************************************************************************************Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries?These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world-renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking.It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders.In this edition, Professor Hawking explains his complex theories through a fresh visual dimension. Over 150 stunning colour illustrations have been specially commissioned for this purpose to help the reader understand what have become popular mythic images of our century, but which nonetheless remain difficult, abstract ideas to grasp.This stunning gift edition also includes a new appendix with updates to the text and tributes to Stephen Hawking. Read more

The ideal gift for all amateur and seasoned astronomers.“This is a great guide to the night sky at a great price” Astronomy Now“A handy and straightforward guide.” British Astronomical Association's 'Journal'“an ideal Christmas stocking-filler” The ObservatoryFrom the UK’s Number One Astronomy publisher, this is the bestselling stargazing handbook to the planets, stars and constellations visible from the northern hemisphere. With 6 pages for each month covering January–December 2024.This practical guide is an easy introduction to astronomy and a useful reference for seasoned stargazers.Designed for Britain and Ireland but usable anywhere in the world between 40°N and 60°N, covering most of Europe, southern Canada and the northern United States.Advice on where to start looking and a map of dark sky sites to avoid light pollution.Charts for the circumpolar and seasonal constellations.Easy-to-use star charts for each month with descriptions of objects and events to look for in 2024.Positions of the moon, visible planets and eclipses.Includes a section on comets and a detailed map of the moon.Now in three editions: Britain and Ireland; North America; Southern Hemisphere.Written and illustrated by astronomical experts, Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion, and approved by the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Read more

Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world renowned physicist - generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers.It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders.This new edition includes updates from Stephen Hawking with his latest thoughts about the No Boundary Proposal and offers new information about dark energy, the information paradox, eternal inflation, the microwave background radiation observations, and the discovery of gravitational waves.It was published in tandem with the app, Stephen Hawking's Pocket Universe.'This book marries a child's wonder to a genius's intellect. We journey into Hawking's universe while marvelling at his mind.' The Sunday Times Read more

A Brief History of Time for the 21st CenturyAt the heart of our galaxy lies a monster so deadly, not even light can escape its grasp. Its secrets lie waiting to be discovered. It’s time to explore our universe’s most mysterious inhabitantsBlack HolesAt the heart of the Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole 4 million times more massive than our Sun. A place where space and time are so warped that light is trapped if it ventures within 12 million km. According to Einstein, inside lies the end of time. According to 21st-century physics, the reality may be far more bizarre.Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are naturally occurring objects, the inevitable creations of gravity when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail fully to describe them.Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics collide. Originally thought to be so intellectually troubling that they simply could not exist, it is only in the past few years that we have begun to glimpse a new synthesis; a deep connection between gravity and quantum information theory that describes a holographic universe in which space and time emerge from a network of quantum bits, and wormholes span the void.In this groundbreaking book, Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw take you to the edge of our understanding of black holes; a scientific journey to the research frontier spanning a century of physics, from Einstein to Hawking and beyond, that ends with the startling conclusion that our world may operate like a giant quantum computer. Read more

Every night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that’s barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe – at least for now.With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expanding Universe, which holds clues to the biggest mystery of all – how did it all begin? We now know more about those first moments of existence than we ever thought possible, and hidden in this story of how it all began are the clues to the fate of the Universe itself and everything in it. Read more

Sunday Times BestsellerHow did life on Earth begin? What is the nature of space and time? What are the chances that we will discover life on other worlds?Think you know our planet?Think again.Forces of Nature takes you from the mid-Atlantic ridge in Iceland, the volcanoes of Indonesia and the precipitous cliffs in Nepal, to the manatees off the coast of Florida and the northern lights of the Arctic, in search of the fundamental laws that govern our world.These universal laws shape everything, from the structure of snowflakes to the elegant spirals of the galaxies. By seeking to understand the everyday world – the colours, structure, behaviour and history of our home – we can step beyond the everyday and approach the Universe beyond. Read more

A brilliant introductory guide to exploring the night sky, from the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich.Offering complete advice from the ground up, Stargazing is the perfect manual for beginners to astronomy – introducing the world of telescopes, planets, stars, dark skies and celestial maps.Discover how to tackle light pollution, how to stargaze with just your eyes, and what equipment is best for beginners.Astronomy experts Radmila Topalovic and Tom Kerss explain the best ways to plan your stargazing experience and the key things to look out for on specific dates throughout the year.With seasonal star charts, constellation charts and facts about our Solar System, Stargazing is packed of useful information and guidance for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.Bridging the gap between human curiosity and the need for scientific expertise, Stargazing allows a complete novice to understand our place in the cosmos and enjoy the beautiful and extraordinary wonders of the night sky.The perfect companion to the best-selling Guide to the Night Sky from Collins, Stargazing is a great way to get started in the fascinating world of astronomy. Read more

Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson, bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time–war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, race, and tribalism–in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.In a time when our political and cultural perspectives feel more divisive than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin engines of enlightenment–a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.After thinking deeply about how a scientist views the world and about what Earth looks like from space, Tyson has found that terrestrial thoughts change as our brain resets and recalibrates life's priorities, along with the actions we might take in response. As a result, no outlook on culture, society, or civilisation remains untouched.In Starry Messenger, Tyson reveals just how human the enterprise of science is. Far from a cold, unfeeling undertaking, scientific methods, tools, and discoveries have shaped modern civilisation and created the landscape we've built for ourselves on which to live, work, and play. Tyson shows how an infusion of science and rational thinking renders worldviews deeper and more informed than ever before–and exposes unfounded perspectives and unjustified emotions.With crystalline prose and an abundance of evidence, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From lessons on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, ten surprising, brilliant, and beautiful truths of human society, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe. Read more

The ideal gift for all amateur and seasoned astronomers.“This is a great guide to the night sky at a great price”Astronomy Now“A handy and straightforward guide … attractive little booklet” British Astronomical Association's 'Journal'“an ideal Christmas stocking-filler” The ObservatoryFrom the UK’s Number One Astronomy publisher, this is the bestselling stargazing handbook to the planets, stars and constellations visible from the northern hemisphere. With 6 pages for each month covering January–December 2023.This practical guidebook is an easy introduction to astronomy and a useful reference for seasoned stargazers.Designed for Britain and Ireland but usable anywhere in the world between 40°N and 60°N, covering most of Europe, southern Canada and the northern United States.Advice on where to start looking and a map of dark sky sites to avoid light pollution.Charts for the circumpolar and seasonal constellations.Easy-to-use star charts for each month with descriptions of objects and events to look for in 2023.Positions of the moon, visible planets and eclipses.Includes a section on comets and a detailed map of the moon.Now in three editions: Britain and Ireland; North America; Southern Hemisphere.Written and illustrated by astronomical experts, Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion, and approved by the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Read more

Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson, bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time–war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, race, and tribalism–in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.In a time when our political and cultural perspectives feel more divisive than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin engines of enlightenment–a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.After thinking deeply about how a scientist views the world and about what Earth looks like from space, Tyson has found that terrestrial thoughts change as our brain resets and recalibrates life's priorities, along with the actions we might take in response. As a result, no outlook on culture, society, or civilisation remains untouched.In Starry Messenger, Tyson reveals just how human the enterprise of science is. Far from a cold, unfeeling undertaking, scientific methods, tools, and discoveries have shaped modern civilisation and created the landscape we've built for ourselves on which to live, work, and play. Tyson shows how an infusion of science and rational thinking renders worldviews deeper and more informed than ever before–and exposes unfounded perspectives and unjustified emotions.With crystalline prose and an abundance of evidence, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From lessons on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, ten surprising, brilliant, and beautiful truths of human society, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe. Read more

A BOOK OF THE YEAR ACCORDING TO THE FINANCIAL TIMES * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH * NEW STATESMAN * NEW SCIENTIST'A miniature masterpiece by one of the most entertaining scientists on the planet' Evening Standard‘Everyone’s talking about White Holes’ Daily MailA mesmerizing trip to the strange new world of white holes, from Carlo Rovelli, the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on PhysicsLet us journey into the heart of a black hole. Let us slip beyond its boundary, the horizon, and tumble - on and on - down this crack in the universe. As we plunge, we'll see geometry fold, we'll feel the equations draw tight around us. Eventually, we'll pass it: the remains of a star, deep and dense and falling further far. And then - the bottom. Where time and space end, and the white hole is born . . . With lightness and magic, here Carlo Rovelli traces the ongoing adventure of his own cutting-edge research, of the uncertainty and joy of going where we've not yet been. Guiding us to the edge of theory and experiment, he invites us to go beyond, to experience the fever and the disquiet of science. Here is the extraordinary life of a white hole. Read more

Philip's Stargazing is the perfect practical guide for both budding and experienced astronomers."If you buy just one guide...you won't do better than this." - BBC Sky at Night MagazineWhether you're a seasoned astronomer or just starting out, this handy fact-packed gem is the only book you'll need. Compiled by experts and specially designed for easy and daily use, Stargazing 2024 acts as a handily illustrated and comprehensive companion. Including the top astronomical places to visit, star festivals and the latest on star parties in Britain and Ireland, the new 2024 edition is totally up-to-date for exploring the wonder of the night skies, month-by-month and day-by-day.· 12 updated sky charts for year-round astronomical discovery· Month-to-Month information. Daily Moon Phase Calendar, highlighting special lunar events throughout the year· Planet Watch for ideal viewing days in 2024· The best places to experience Dark Skies, along with the latest on Star Festivals and Star Parties· Top places to visit for astronomical insights· Expert advice and insight throughout from internationally renowned Prof Nigel Henbest· Special article on the use of filters for astro-photography by expert Robin Scagell· Complete calendar of major astronomical events, including the Top 20 Sky Sights of 2024· Jargon Buster, explaining common or confusing terms· The planets' movements explained from solar and lunar eclipses to meteor showers and comets"I will continue to enjoy 'Philip's Stargazing' as the months go by." - Helen Sharman, Astronaut"Very useful indeed." - Chris Lintott, Sky at Night presenter Read more