The Universe

"In our time men will climb the mountains of the moon, rendezvous with asteroids, explore the deserts of Mars. Within centuries, whole colonies of people may embark on voyages that will last for generations."

In the Young Readers Edition of The Universe, author David Bergamini emphasizes the importance of outer space on the eve of man's first flights away from his native planet. In clear, easy-to-understand language, the author details the history of man's observations of the heavens, from ancient Greek theories to today's sophisticated moon probes. With colorful illustrations and photographs, this volume explores the birth and eventual death of the solar system, the nuclear furnace of the sun, and such strange, far-off spectacles as exploding stars, "colliding" galaxies and quasars.

Although scientists believe our picture of the universe is substantially correct, the study of space has really just begun. Newton, the 17th Century mathematician and astronomer, expressed this point of view perfectly: "I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

Start now to build the 12-volume LIFE Young Readers Nature Library, a fascinating and informative series of books: The Birds, The Mammals, The Sea. The Desert, The Fishes, The Reptiles, Animal Behavior, The Universe, The Primates, Early Man, The Earth and Evolution. Each 128-page book includes 20,000 words and more than 120 photographs and drawings, many in color.