The Secret Life of Space - Hardcover

'... a non-stop tour of all the big moments in the history of Western astronomy. ... it's a great introduction to major stories, revealing the personalities behind the names known otherwise as those of satellites, theorems and equations. ... an entertaining read...'

The strength of this book is its focus on the individuals who have contributed to our understanding of the universe ... 

this is a good introduction for the general reader and an entertaining miscellany for armchair astronomers."

'... a non-stop tour of all the big moments in the history of Western astronomy. ... it's a great introduction to major stories, revealing the personalities behind the names known otherwise as those of satellites, theorems and equations. ... an entertaining read...'

The strength of this book is its focus on the  individuals who have contributed to our understanding  of the universe ... 

this is a good introduction for the  general reader and an entertaining miscellany  for armchair astronomers."

The Secret Life of Space is the definitive guide to understanding the key breakthroughs and discoveries mankind has made to unravel the mysteries of the Cosmos. This engaging and fast-paced narrative debunks the urban myths of astronomy, revealing the true stories behind our biggest breakthroughs. Starting with the discovery that Stonehenge was actually built to celebrate the winter solstice rather than the summer, this book leads us through history to reveal that the telescope was not invented by Galileo, Einstein did not predict the presence of black holes or the Big Bang and Copernicus’ s theory that the Sun was at the centre of the Universe might have actually disappeared without a trace had it not been for the efforts of one of his fanatical disciples.

Renowned scientists and authors Nigel Henbest and Heather Couper also uncover the unsung heroes and heroines who have been overlooked in the history of scientific endeavor. These stories include the computer engineer who discovered more exploding stars in his back garden than anyone else in history, the teacher who developed the basis for radio astronomy and the sanitary engineer who found evidence of life on Mars. Finally, they look to today’ s increasing possibility of space travel as we push the frontiers of discovery and ask the perennial question, is there life out there?