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Dive into a mind-bending exploration of the physics of black holesBlack holes, predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity more than a century ago, have long intrigued scientists and the public with their bizarre and fantastical properties. Although Einstein understood that black holes were mathematical solutions to his equations, he never accepted their physical reality-a viewpoint many shared. This all changed in the 1960s and 1970s, when a deeper conceptual understanding of black holes developed just as new observations revealed the existence of quasars and X-ray binary star systems, whose mysterious properties could be explained by the presence of black holes. Black holes have since been the subject of intense research-and the physics governing how they behave and affect their surroundings is stranger and more mind-bending than any fiction.After introducing the basics of the special and general theories of relativity, this book describes black holes both as astrophysical objects and theoretical "laboratories" in which physicists can test their understanding of gravitational, quantum, and thermal physics. From Schwarzschild black holes to rotating and colliding black holes, and from gravitational radiation to Hawking radiation and information loss, Steven Gubser and Frans Pretorius use creative thought experiments and analogies to explain their subject accessibly. They also describe the decades-long quest to observe the universe in gravitational waves, which recently resulted in the LIGO observatories' detection of the distinctive gravitational wave "chirp" of two colliding black holes-the first direct observation of black holes' existence.The Little Book of Black Holes takes readers deep into the mysterious heart of the subject, offering rare clarity of insight into the physics that makes black holes simple yet destructive manifestations of geometric destiny.

Black holes (Astronomy) --- Frozen stars --- Compact objects (Astronomy) --- Gravitational collapse --- Stars --- A-frame. --- Acceleration. --- Accretion disk. --- Alice and Bob. --- Angular momentum. --- Astronomer. --- Atomic nucleus. --- Binary black hole. --- Binary star. --- Black hole information paradox. --- Black hole thermodynamics. --- Black hole. --- Calculation. --- Circular orbit. --- Classical mechanics. --- Closed timelike curve. --- Cosmological constant. --- Curvature. --- Cygnus X-1. --- Degenerate matter. --- Differential equation. --- Differential geometry. --- Doppler effect. --- Earth. --- Einstein field equations. --- Electric charge. --- Electric field. --- Electromagnetism. --- Ergosphere. --- Escape velocity. --- Event horizon. --- Excitation (magnetic). --- Frame-dragging. --- Galactic Center. --- General relativity. --- Gravitational acceleration. --- Gravitational collapse. --- Gravitational constant. --- Gravitational energy. --- Gravitational field. --- Gravitational redshift. --- Gravitational wave. --- Gravitational-wave observatory. --- Gravity. --- Hawking radiation. --- Inner core. --- Kerr metric. --- Kinetic energy. --- LIGO. --- Length contraction. --- Lorentz transformation. --- Magnetic field. --- Mass–energy equivalence. --- Maxwell's equations. --- Metric expansion of space. --- Metric tensor. --- Milky Way. --- Minkowski space. --- Negative energy. --- Neutrino. --- Neutron star. --- Neutron. --- Newton's law of universal gravitation. --- No-hair theorem. --- Nuclear fusion. --- Nuclear reaction. --- Orbit. --- Orbital mechanics. --- Orbital period. --- Penrose process. --- Photon. --- Physicist. --- Primordial black hole. --- Projectile. --- Quantum entanglement. --- Quantum gravity. --- Quantum mechanics. --- Quantum state. --- Quasar. --- Ray (optics). --- Rotational energy. --- Roy Kerr. --- Schwarzschild metric. --- Schwarzschild radius. --- Solar mass. --- Special relativity. --- Star. --- Stellar mass. --- Stephen Hawking. --- Stress–energy tensor. --- String theory. --- Supermassive black hole. --- Temperature. --- Theory of relativity. --- Thought experiment. --- Tidal force. --- Time dilation. --- Wavelength. --- White hole. --- Wormhole.

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A scientist’s inspiring vision of our return to the Moon as humanity’s next thrilling step in space explorationJust over half a century since Neil Armstrong first stepped foot on the lunar surface, a new space race to the Moon is well underway and rapidly gaining momentum. Laying out a vision for the next fifty years, Back to the Moon is astrophysicist Joseph Silk’s persuasive and impassioned case for putting scientific discovery at the forefront of lunar exploration.The Moon offers opportunities beyond our wildest imaginings, and plans to return are rapidly gaining momentum around the world. NASA aims to build a habitable orbiting space station to coordinate lunar development and exploration, while European and Chinese space agencies are planning lunar villages and the mining of precious resources dwindling here on Earth. Powerful international and commercial interests are driving the race to revisit the Moon, but lunar infrastructures could also open breathtaking vistas onto the cosmos. Silk describes how the colonization of the Moon could usher in a thrilling new age of scientific exploration, and lays out what the next fifty years of lunar science might look like. With lunar telescopes of unprecedented size situated in permanently dark polar craters and on the far side of the Moon, we could finally be poised to answer some of the most profound questions confronting humankind, including whether we are alone in the Universe and what our cosmic origins are.Addressing both the daunting challenges and the immense promise of lunar exploration and exploitation, Back to the Moon reveals how prioritizing science, and in particular lunar astronomy, will enable us to address the deepest cosmic mysteries.

Lunar bases. --- Space colonies. --- Space industrialization. --- SCIENCE / Space Science. --- Age of the universe. --- Alpha Centauri. --- Apollo 15. --- Apollo program. --- Asteroid mining. --- Asteroid. --- Astronaut. --- Astronomer. --- Astronomy. --- Atmosphere of Earth. --- Background radiation. --- Big Bang. --- Chronology of the universe. --- Colonization of the Moon. --- Cosmic background radiation. --- Cosmic ray. --- Dwarf galaxy. --- Earthrise. --- Exoplanet. --- Exploration of Mars. --- Exploration of the Moon. --- Extraterrestrial life. --- Far side of the Moon. --- Formation and evolution of the Solar System. --- Galaxy rotation curve. --- Geology of the Moon. --- Geostationary orbit. --- Geosynchronous orbit. --- Gravitational wave. --- Gravity wave. --- Gravity. --- Impact event. --- Inflation (cosmology). --- Infrastructure. --- International Space Station. --- Interplanetary mission. --- Interstellar communication. --- Interstellar medium. --- James Webb Space Telescope. --- Jupiter. --- Launch vehicle. --- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. --- Lunar orbit. --- Lunar outpost (NASA). --- Lunar rover. --- Lunar soil. --- Lunar south pole. --- Lunar space elevator. --- Mars and Beyond. --- Meteorite. --- Milky Way. --- Moon rock. --- Moon. --- Moons of Saturn. --- NASA Astronaut Corps. --- Near side of the Moon. --- Neutron star. --- Origin of the Moon. --- Orion (spacecraft). --- Outer Space Treaty. --- Outer space. --- Payload. --- Planetary surface. --- Planetary system. --- Planetesimal. --- Private spaceflight. --- Project Mercury. --- Quasar. --- Radio telescope. --- Radio wave. --- Robotic spacecraft. --- Rocket launch. --- Rocket propellant. --- Saturn V. --- Solar mass. --- Solar power. --- Space debris. --- Space elevator. --- Space exploration. --- Space research. --- Space station. --- Space telescope. --- Space tourism. --- SpaceX. --- Spacecraft. --- Spaceflight. --- Spaceport. --- Star formation. --- Star. --- Stellar classification. --- Sub-orbital spaceflight. --- Supermassive black hole. --- Technology. --- Terrestrial planet. --- The Space Barons. --- To the Moon. --- Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. --- Venture to the Moon. --- Wavelength. --- Year. --- Commercial endeavors in space --- Industrial uses of space --- Industries in space --- Manufacturing in space --- Space commercialization --- Space manufacturing --- Space stations --- Industrialization --- Colonies, Space --- Communities, Space --- Habitats, Space --- Space communities --- Space habitats --- Astronautics and civilization --- Colonization --- Large space structures (Astronautics) --- Extraterrestrial bases --- Lunar construction engineering --- Moon bases --- Moon settlements --- Industrial applications --- Moon --- Exploration.