A History of the Universe in 100 Stars

Astronomer Florian Freistetter has chosen 100 stars that have almost nothing in common, telling the story of the universe through their past and future. These stars include Algol, Gamma Draconis, 61 Cygni, and those used by astronomers to search for extra-terrestrial life and explain the dinosaurs' extinction.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: Quercus Publishing

From the Big Bang to the Gaia Mission, this is a deeply personal journey through the universe, told through the author's favorite 100 stars. Astronomer Florian Freistetter has selected 100 stars that have almost nothing in common. Some are bright and famous, while others shine so faintly that you need a huge telescope. There are big stars, small stars, nearby stars, and faraway stars. Some died long ago, while others have not yet come into being. Collectively, they tell the story of the whole world, according to Freistetter.

For example, there is Algol, the Demon Star, whose strange behavior has long kept people awake at night. And Gamma Draconis, from which we know that the Earth rotates around its axis. There is also the star sequence 61 Cygni, which revealed the size of the universe to us.

Then there are certain stars used by astronomers to search for extraterrestrial life, explore interstellar space travel, or explain why dinosaurs became extinct.

In 100 short, fascinating, and entertaining chapters, Freistetter not only reveals the past and future of the universe, but also the story of the people who have tried to understand the world in which we live.

Weight: 238g
Dimension: 197 x 129 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529410150