SCIENCES

The Milky Way: An Insider's Guide

by William H. Waller
Princeton Univ. 2013. 296p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9780691122243. $29.95. SCI
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Given the data preserved by several ancient cultures, astronomy's claim to be "the oldest science" is fair. Even so, it is astonishing to contemplate the extent of further astronomical advances over the 20th and 21st centuries. Waller, who as an astronomer has contributed to some of the newest discoveries, reviews the progress in understanding the constituents of our "home galaxy" even as we now know that the Milky Way is only one of perhaps several hundred billion galaxies. Then there is the more recent news that most of the material of the universe is embedded in the non-visible "dark matter" and "dark energy."
VERDICT Waller's account is well written and accessible for the most part to readers without advanced training in the physical sciences, although some technical details are unavoidable. Readers who persevere will be rewarded with fresh vistas of new topics including the possibility of life beyond Earth. Strongly recommended, as this volume should have a wide readership among student and lay astronomers. Both college and public libraries should acquire.
Reviewed by Jack W. Weigel, formerly with Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor , Jun 01, 2013
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