Milky Way

William H. Waller is an astronomer, science educator, and writer. He lives with his family in Rockport, Massachusetts, where he can still see the Milky Way on dark moonless nights.

• Preface vii Chapter 1: First Impressions 1 Chapter 2: Historic Perceptions 10 Chapter 3: Panchromatic Vistas 53 Chapter 4: Neighbors of the Sun 82 Chapter 5: Beacons from Afar 102 Chapter 6: Star Birth 127 Chapter 7: Lives of the Stars 148 Chapter 8: Stellar Afterlives 171 Chapter 9: The Galactic Garden 194 Chapter 10: Monster in the Core 221 Chapter 11: Tales of Origin 236 Chapter 12: Life in the Milky Way 251 Glossary 277 Notes 295 Selected Readings 303 Index 311

One of SkyNews Best Astronomy Books of the Year 2013, chosen by SkyNews editor, Terence Dickinson "The Milky Way is a good overview of our knowledge of the Milky Way... [F]or those who want to get up to speed on the Milky Way, or simply refresh their knowledge of it, this book can help the reader become an insider about our galactic home."--Jeff Foust, Space Review "Erudite, yet eminently accessible... [A] joy to read."--Bill Baker, ForeWord "The Milky Way: An Insider's Guide is a very comprehensive and up-to-date survey of its subject. The overall impression it leaves one with is of our galaxy as a very busy place, fizzing with what the author, in a particularly felicitous phrase, calls 'vigorous fecundity.' Our little burg may be a mere speck in the grand scheme of things, but there's a lot going on here."--John Derbyshire, American Spectator "The breadth of material Waller covers is astonishing... As a space journalist, I'll definitely keep this book on my shelf."--Elizabeth Howell, Universe Today "[R]ich with fascinating detail... The author delivers everything we need in a book about our Galaxy, bringing a welcome depth to our appreciation of those clear, dark nights."--Alastair Gunn, BBC Sky at Night "[W]ell-written and accessible... Strongly recommended, as this volume should have a wide readership among student and lay astronomers."--Library Journal "[A] thrilling story of our home galaxy, quite the best I've seen in popular astronomy books."--Simon Mitton, Times Higher Education "The photographs are quite stunning. As new techniques and more elaborate apparatus for exploring the universe are being developed, our knowledge and understanding are increasing exponentially. This excellent and comprehensive guide to the Milky Way may well be the definitive book on the subject for the time being, but it is unlikely to remain so for too long."--Anthony Toole, Shvoong.com "Waller's book provides an excellent starting point, telling the story of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way, and how this hard-won knowledge was obtained--and it does so in an entertaining and not overly detailed fashion. It should be among the first recommendations to new students of the field, as well as to citizen scientists who wish to deepen their understanding of one of the fundamental, as well as fast-advancing, areas of modern astronomy."--Timothy C. Beers, Nature Physics "This clearly written, largely nontechnical book balances the poetic interpretation of the starry realm with the modern scientific nature of the Milky Way galaxy... The book can be used as a textbook or be a good general read."--Choice "[W]aller's goal--fully achieved, in my opinion--is to familiarize readers with the history of the discovery of the Milky Way Galaxy's size, shape, and contents and our place in it. Attention is given to the origin of stars in general and to the nature of specific types of stars and how our galaxy came to be in the first place."--Terence Dickinson, SkyNews "This book is superb: written in an engaging, even folksy, style, it would be the perfect primer for a beginning undergraduate wanting an up-to-date overview of stellar and galactic astronomy."--David Stickland, Journal of Continuity and Change