The exciting and captivating narrative about a landmark period in human history, the discovery of the astonishing size and true nature of our universe.

On New Year's Day in 1925, young Edwin Hubble announced his discovery that our universe was far larger than people had previously believed, with the revised estimate of its size being a thousand trillion times greater than earlier estimates. Hubble's announcement caused tremendous upheaval in the scientific community. Six years later, at a series of meetings at the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hubble along with other scientists convinced Albert Einstein that the universe is not static but instead is expanding.

In this book, Marcia Bartusiak reveals the key players, the debates, the brilliant ideas, the astonishing technology, the groundbreaking research, as well as the wrong choices of early sky researchers in their efforts to uncover what many consider one of the most important discoveries in the history of science.

REVIEWS

“With her characteristic way of blending thorough research with vibrant writing, Bartusiak weaves these discoveries into a narrative that is almost as compelling as the tumultuous decade it addresses.” — Seed Magazine

“Bartusiak’s clever and engaging book has the makings of a benchmark historical narrative on the subject.” — Washington Post

“A writer on scientific topics with rare gifts… Bartusiak successfully conveys the incredible complexity of astronomers' work… while never forgetting the human element.” — San Francisco Chronicle

“Interesting… thorough in its research… enjoyable to read.” — New Scientist

“Bartusiak carefully and attentively traces the origins and development of a monumental idea… Her delightful book examines both the minor and major players in this story with particular depth.” — New Haven Review

BIOGRAPHY

Marcia Bartusiak is an American physicist, journalist, and author of books related to astronomy and the physical sciences. She is also a professor in the graduate program for science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her writings have been published in National Geographic, Discover, Astronomy, Science, MIT Technology Review, and others, while she maintains a regular column in Natural History magazine. For her writing, she has been honored six times by the American Institute of Physics and other organizations. In 2008, she was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Her books include “Through a Universe Darkly” (1993), “Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony” (2000, 2017). In Greek, her books “The Universe Files” (Enalios) and “Black Holes: The Great Adventure of a Revolutionary Scientific Idea” (University Press of Crete) are available.