The aim of the State of the Universe annuals is to provide an annual astronomy review suitable for the popular science level reader to be published every September. The book will cover all major astronomical news on topics beyond the Solar System and place them in the context of the longer term goals of astronomers and astrophysicists around the world. The aim is to capture the excitement and vibrancy of modern astronomical research. This section also includes web links for all major news stories, providing a bridge between the public news stories and the actual research web sites.
The invited contributions which make up the second half of the annual each year will cover a variety of topics and are written to appeal to a wide readership. These are written by leading astronomers or science writers.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
From the reviews:
"This softback volume brings together 100 of the most significant astronomy-related press releases that were issued between 2006 April and 2007 March, together with full-colour reproductions of the relevant illustrations. . this compilation by writer and educator Martin Ratcliffe is a welcome reference. . Written by recognized experts in their field, these articles cover such diverse topics as 'The history and future of telescopes', 'The state of the Universe', and 'Building planetary disks'." (Peter Bond, The Observatory, Vol. 128 (1204), 2008)
"A book that collates and presents a whole year's worth of news stories . . The succinct nature of these news stories captures the essence of the research, and for those who wish to read up more about each subject, web links to the original press release or even the scientific paper are provided, making this an excellent resource . . Anyone wanting a year book style review of the current state of affairs in the Universe . will enjoy reading this book." (Emily Baldwin, Astronomy Now, July, 2008)
