, by award-winning astronomy writer Govert Schilling, is the indispensable, go-to guide to everything you ever wanted or need to know about space, including: It also offers an excellent education for every amateur astronomer, including detailed and practical information on how to: Schilling provides a fascinating history of astronomy, as well as clear and accessible explanations of binary, variable, and neutron stars; black holes and gamma-ray bursts; the formation and structure of galaxies; dark matter; and extraterrestrial life. is a primordial soup-to-nuts guide to the cosmos and an essential reference for every student of the universe.