Dr Stuart Clark is author of the critically acclaimed The Sun Kings and a former editor of the UK's best-selling astronomy magazine, Astronomy Now. He currently writes for the European Space Agency and is a regular contributor to magazines such as New Scientist and BBC Focus. Dr Clark's previous books also include Deep Space (Quercus 2007), Galaxy (Quercus 2008), Journey to the Stars and Universe in Focus: The Story of the Hubble Telescope.

Introduction. What is the Universe? - The human quest to know what' s out there. How big is the Universe? - The cosmological distance ladder. How old is the Universe? - Cosmology's age crisis. What are the stars made of? - The cosmic recipe. How did the Earth form? - The birth of the planet we call home. Why do the planets stay in orbit? - And why the Moon doesn't fall down. Was Einstein right? - Gravitational force versus space-time warp. What is a black hole? - Gobbling monsters, evaporating pin pricks and balls of string. How did the Universe form? - Picturing the Big Bang. What were the first celestial objects? - The beginnings of the Universe as we know it. What is dark matter? - The debate about what holds the Universe together. What is dark energy? - The most mysterious substance in the Universe. Are we made from stardust? - The mystery of how life emerged. Is there life on Mars? - The chances of finding we have neighbours. Are there other intelligent beings? - Is anyone out there? Can we travel through time and space? - The possibility of warp drives and time travel. Can the laws of physics change? - Physics beyond Einstein. Are there alternative universes? - Schrodinger's cat and the implications for us all. What will be the fate of the Universe? - Big crunch, slow heat death or big rip. Is there cosmological evidence for God? - The apparent fine-tuning of the Universe for human life. Glossary. Index.