Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. General Summary iii
3. Acknowledgments vii
4. Contents xi
5. Part I A Century of Revolution in Our Vision of the Universe
6. Chapter 1 General View of 20th Century Astronomy and Its Starting Point 1
7. Chapter 2 Scientific and Technical Revolutions, Drivers of 20th Century Astronomy 21
8. Part II Stars are Well Understood
9. Chapter 3 How does a Star Work? 41
10. Chapter 4 Complexities of Star Birth and Physics 57
11. Part III The New World of Galaxies
12. Chapter 5 Discovery of Galaxies 73
13. Chapter 6 Our Galaxy and Its Interstellar Medium 83
14. Chapter 7 Hundreds Billions of Galaxies 97
15. Part IV Cosmology, the Science of the Universe as a Whole
16. Chapter 8 Birth of Cosmology 111
17. Chapter 9 Content of the Universe and Structure Formation 123
18. Part V Singular Stars and Cataclysms in Extreme Physical Conditions
19. Chapter 10 Explosions of Stars and Their Singular Residues 135
20. Chapter 11 Black Holes and Their Power 155
21. Part VI Planets, in the Solar System and Outside
22. Chapter 12 Direct Exploration of the Planets 173
23. Chapter 13 Entering the Dream World of Exoplanets 197
24. Conclusion
25. Chapter 14 A New Cosmos in the 21st Century? 211
26. Glossary 217
27. Acronyms and Space Missions 223
28. References 227
29. Index 231