Night vision

Infrared astronomy has transformed how researchers study the cosmos over the last four decades. This book shows how observing the universe in infrared light lets astronomers follow stars forming inside thick clouds of gas, probe black holes, and watch distant galaxies collide. It also traces the movement of interstellar dust, including the dust that existed when our Solar System took shape.

Astronomer Michael Rowan-Robinson surveys the advances made in infrared observation. Alongside the science, he profiles the scientists and engineers who built the field gradually over roughly two centuries.

The text is written for curious science readers, amateur stargazers, and university students, and it is illustrated throughout. Researchers in astronomy and the history of science will also find the author's extensive notes and references useful.