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The astonishing science of black holes, and their role in understanding the history and future of our universe.Black holes are the most extreme objects in the universe, yet every galaxy harbors a black hole at its center. In Einstein's Monsters, distinguished astronomer Chris Impey builds on this profound discovery to explore questions at the cutting edge of cosmology: Which came first, the galaxy or its central black hole? What happens if you travel into a black hole?Impey chronicles the role black holes have played in theoretical physics -- from confirming Einstein's equations for general relativity to testing string theory. He then describes the phenomena that scientists have witnessed while observing black holes: dozens of stars swarming like bees around the dark object at the center of our galaxy; black holes performing gravitational waltzes with normal stars; the cymbal clash of two black holes colliding, releasing ripples in spacetime. Einstein's Monsters is the incredible story of one of the most enigmatic entities in nature. 68 illustrations



About the Author

Chris Impey

Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor in the Astronomy Department and Associate Dean in the College of Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has written popular articles on astronomy and is the author of a number of popular science books. is a tour of the search for life in the universe, and the pair of books and cover the origin and fate of everything in the universe. is a series of conversations with pioneers in astrobiology. With Holly Henry, he wrote about the scientific and cultural impact of a dozen iconic NASA missions, . A book about his experiences teaching cosmology to Tibetan monks, was published in 2014, and his book about the future of humans in space, called , was published in 2015. His first novel is called



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