Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Webb’s Universe

The Space Telescope Images That Reveal Our Cosmic History

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Details

Imprint: O'Mara Books

Publication date: 24/10/2024

ISBN: 9781789295726

Subject: Non-Fiction

Category: Science - History - Philosophy

Binding: Hardback

Size: 280 x 216 mm

Extent: 224 pages

Illustration: Full colour photographic images plus b/w diagrams

Territorial Rights: World (All Languages)

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Summary:

The definitive book on the James Webb Space Telescope, including its most stunning images to date, written by space expert Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Despite the huge advances in space technology in recent decades, much of the universe still remains a source of mystery, often provoking more questions than answers. Keen to follow on from the findings of the Hubble telescope, NASA successfully launched the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021 to study every phase of the history of our universe.

The first stunningly clear images of the very depths of the universe using Webb’s groundbreaking infrared technology were released in July 2022, forever changing the way we see and understand the origins of our existence. From the never-before-seen bright stars surrounding the cosmic cliffs of the Carina Nebula and the intricate details of dying stars to the first detection of a crucial carbon molecule which forms the foundations of life as we know it, Webb continues to amaze and inform us in equal measure.

Bringing her passion as well as her expert knowledge of space and Webb in particular, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock demystifies these stunning pictures and breaks down the essential science behind each image, explaining what we’re seeing and learning from the world’s most powerful space telescope.

Reviews:

This book is literally heavenly – a wonderful showcase for the glories of the cosmos revealed by the extraordinary James Webb Space Telescope.

Marcus Chown, author of The One Thing You Need to Know

Maggie Aderin-Pocock adds a depth of understanding that is rarely found in illustrated books. A collection of wonders.

Brian Clegg, Science Writer

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes us on a tour of Webb's most breathtaking images and reveals what they tell us about the cosmos – and some of its deepest secrets. Get yourself a copy!

Paul Parsons

The James Webb Space Telescope has the power to address some of the most fundamental questions in astronomy and space science, from looking back in time to observe the evolution of the earliest galaxies, to joining the hunt for habitable planets many light years away. Webb will be a game-changer for our understanding of our place in the Universe.

Suzie Imber, Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester

The James Webb Space Telescope is revealing the cosmos with a mind-blowing clarity, but it’s Maggie’s sparkling prose and fizzing enthusiasm that brings it to life.

Dallas Campbell, presenter and author

Maggie knows her stuff and knows how to make you know stuff too!

Dara Ó Briain, comedian and author

Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a world-class space scientist. With Webb’s Universe she offers a stunning insight into the incredible cosmos that surrounds us alongside gorgeous images from NASA – a must-read!

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

The ultimate book on all things JWST, perfectly blending astrophysics and engineering. Aderin-Pocock describes not just the science of what’s going on in these incredible JWST images but crucially how the images were taken.

Dr Becky Smethurst, astrophysicist, author and YouTuber

The James Webb Space Telescope’s first years in the heavens captured the public’s imagination, but its picturesque discoveries are more than just pretty postcards. Each image is a window into a fantastic realm where stars are born and die, black holes lurk within galactic hearts, and towering clouds of gas and dust give rise to countless unknown new worlds. Dr Aderin-Pocock’s descriptions will help you understand why JWST’s images matter. Her stories from astronomical history shed new light into how scientists know what they know, and why they want to look deeper into the universe. This beautiful book is every bit as human as it is cosmically grand.

Rebecca Boyle, author of Our Moon: A Human History

Sales points:

  • Beautiful fully illustrated book featuring the most up-to-date images from the world’s largest and most powerful telescope

  • Complicated scientific concepts explained in clear and accessible language, along with line drawings, to appeal to a wide range of space enthusiasts

  • Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a pioneering figure in communicating science to the public. She was an integral member of the team who worked on the James Webb Space Telescope, for which she created an optical subsystem. She is available for PR

  • Comp titles: The Hubble Legacy, Jim Bell; The Universe, Professor Brian Cox; Hubble’s Universe, Terence Dickinson

About the Author:

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist whose passion is presenting science to a general audience and demonstrating that you ‘don’t need a brain the size of a small planet’ to understand, participate in and enjoy science. Maggie is committed to inspiring new generations of astronauts, engineers and scientists through her 'Tours of the Universe'. She shares the wonders of space, and has given these talks to over 60,000 people across the globe. Her programme Do We Really Need the Moon? (BBC 2), which explored our intimate relationship with the moon, showed just that. The programme earned Maggie the Talkback Thames new talent award at the prestigious Women in Film and TV Awards in December 2011. She went on to present a follow up Do We Really Need Satellites? (also BBC 2) and was one of the Scientists on Channel 4’s Brave New World as well as regular stints on The One Show. She currently presents The Sky At Night on BBC 4 and Mini Stargazing for CBeebies. In 2009, Maggie was appointed an MBE for her services to science and education.

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