Download high-resolution image
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio play button
0:00
0:00

Supermassive

Black Holes at the Beginning and End of the Universe

Read by Fred Sanders
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio play button
0:00
0:00
Audiobook Download
On sale Mar 04, 2025 | 8 Hours and 0 Minutes | 9798217157884

Black holes, demystified: follow along the quest to understand the history and influence of one of space science's most fascinating and confounding phenomena

Led by physicist James Trefil and astrophysicist Shobita Satyapal, this book traverses the incredible history of black holes and introduces contemporary developments and theories on still unanswered questions about the enigmatic objects. From the early work of Albert Einstein and Karl Schwarzschild to an insider look at black hole-galaxy connection research led by co-author Satyapa, the comprehensive book surveys an exciting and evolving branch of space science, with topics that include:

  • Visibility of black hole
  • Quasars, the brightest objects in the universe
  • The black hole at the center of the Milky Way
  • Popular theories on the origin of black holes
  • Cosmic X rays
  • Death of supermassives
  • Black hole collisions
  • Black holes in science fiction

Invisible to the naked eye and telescopes, black holes have mystified and entranced astronomers, scientists, and humanity for more than a century. The first image of a supermassive black hole was only unveiled in 2019, and new black holes are continually discovered. Supermassive illuminates what we know about black holes so far and what we have yet to uncover.
James Trefil, the Robinson Professor of Physics at George Mason University, is the author of more than 40 books and 100 articles in professional journals. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the World Economic Forum. He is the recipient of the Andrew Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics, the Westinghouse and Subaru Awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the 2008 Science Writing Award from the American Physical Society. View titles by James Trefil

About

Black holes, demystified: follow along the quest to understand the history and influence of one of space science's most fascinating and confounding phenomena

Led by physicist James Trefil and astrophysicist Shobita Satyapal, this book traverses the incredible history of black holes and introduces contemporary developments and theories on still unanswered questions about the enigmatic objects. From the early work of Albert Einstein and Karl Schwarzschild to an insider look at black hole-galaxy connection research led by co-author Satyapa, the comprehensive book surveys an exciting and evolving branch of space science, with topics that include:

  • Visibility of black hole
  • Quasars, the brightest objects in the universe
  • The black hole at the center of the Milky Way
  • Popular theories on the origin of black holes
  • Cosmic X rays
  • Death of supermassives
  • Black hole collisions
  • Black holes in science fiction

Invisible to the naked eye and telescopes, black holes have mystified and entranced astronomers, scientists, and humanity for more than a century. The first image of a supermassive black hole was only unveiled in 2019, and new black holes are continually discovered. Supermassive illuminates what we know about black holes so far and what we have yet to uncover.

Author

James Trefil, the Robinson Professor of Physics at George Mason University, is the author of more than 40 books and 100 articles in professional journals. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the World Economic Forum. He is the recipient of the Andrew Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics, the Westinghouse and Subaru Awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the 2008 Science Writing Award from the American Physical Society. View titles by James Trefil