Supermassive

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“This comprehensive and insightful book explores the history of black holes, offering readers an eye-opening journey through their discovery and the science behind proving their existence. Written by a physicist and an astrophysicist, the book provides space enthusiasts with a rare insider’s perspective on the groundbreaking advancements that led to our current understanding of black holes. […] Its strength lies in the authors’ evident passion for the subject and their admiration for the scientists who contributed to these discoveries. VERDICT A thrilling tour of the universe, spanning from its origins to its potential end.”

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“Trifil and Satyapal excel at showing how both observational and theoretical science work. For example, research and theories on black holes inform their analysis of the potential end of the universe. Most of these are “hot” topics in modern science, about which this book provides a useful introduction.”


“An energetic tour of massively important mysteries.” - Daniel Whiteson, author of Frequently Asked Questions about the Universe

“Put on your track shoes! Trefil and Satyapal will take you on a steeplechase though the history of astrophysics that clears many hurdles, avoids the water hazards, and leads to a deeper understanding of black holes, and, along the way, how science works. They take you to the edge of today’s understanding and peer into the abyss beyond. Only measurement will tell us which ideas are right and we are building the instruments to learn.” - Robert P. Kirshner, Executive Director of the TMT International Observatory and author of The Extravagant Universe

“Supermassive takes readers on a fascinating journey that emphasizes the crucial roles played by black holes throughout cosmic history and for our cosmic future. Trefil and Satyapal’s clear writing and historical vignettes make it easy to understand how these enigmatic objects, once thought to be merely hypothetical, are now known to govern a wide variety of cosmic situations, from the hearts of quasars and ordinary galaxies such as our Milky Way, to strange worlds of the quantum and gravitational radiation.” - Donald Goldsmith, the co-author of Origins with Neil deGrasse Tyson and The End of Astronauts with Martin Rees

JAMES TREFIL is a professor of physics at George Mason University. He has written more than 50 books about science for the general audience and has served as Contributing Editor for Science for USA TODAY Weekend and as a regular contributor and science consultant for Smithsonian and Astronomy magazines.

SHOBITA SATYAPAL is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at George Mason University. She received the NASA Presidential Early Career Award for her work on infrared spectroscopy and instrumentation. Her research centers on understanding the connection between the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes and the host galaxies in which they reside.

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