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Through a Universe Darkly | |
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A Cosmic Tale of Ancient Ethers, Dark Matter, and the Fate of the Universe | |
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Hardcover published by HarperCollins, 1993 | |
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Softcover published by Avon Books, 1995 | |
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New York Times Notable Science Book | |
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  This is a history of astronomy from a different perspective. It is a history of cosmic matter. Through a Universe Darkly shows how the quest to learn the composition of the heavens has propelled astronomical inquiry from the ancient Greeks through Copernicus, Newton, and Einstein and up to today's cutting edge scientists. Over the centuries, astronomers have searched for the elements of our universe, unraveling riddles with solutions both revolutionary and awe-inspiring. |
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But just as astronomers were confident that they had identified all of the universe's material constituents, a mystery arose that thrust astronomy back into a dark age. Something more was out there, an unknown substance that came to be called dark matter. Could the luminous stars and galaxies be mere whitecaps, whose gleaming presence diverts our eyes from a hidden ocean of matter below? | |
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Conveying the tantalizing exhilaration of discovery that has driven astronomers for centuries, Through a Universe Darkly interweaves history, scientific personalities, and philosophy in an intoxicating story of the exploration of the universe's contents--most of all of dark matter, the mind-boggling, invisible substance that is changing our view of the universe. | |
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Critical Response | |
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"If you're going to buy only one astronomy book this year, this should be the one. Bartusiak's blending of science and anecdotes is marvelous....Excellent book." | |
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Astronomy | |
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"A clear and confident chronicle of modern astronomy....Bartusiak has such an enviable grasp of the big picture that she is able to communicate the inherent drama so that the reader gets caught up in the dark mystery. Immensely satisfying." | |
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Air & Space | |
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"Absorbing...[and] beautifully written....Ms. Bartusiak describes the full array of dark-matter suspects--which range from brown dwarfs to massive neutrinos--and gives entertaining biographical sketches of the scientists who stalk them." | |
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The Wall Street Journal | |
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"Marcia Bartusiak writes [with a] clean intelligence....She never fudges the logic. She walks you meticulously through every step of cosmologists' search for what the light matter is, where the dark matter is and what it might be. She lays open the chemistry, astronomy, and classical and quantum physics necessary to understand the search....Clear and uncondescending science writing." | |
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The New York Times Book Review | |
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"Marcia Bartusiak introduces a large cast of remarkable astronomers, [with] their often idiosyncratic work habits and obsessions,...[and] describes with clarity, color and enthusiasm the search for the mysterious substance that seems to permeate vast areas of space." | |
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The Los Angeles Times | |
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"For those who enjoy following scientific controversies as they unfold, this book is the best introduction available. And for those who wonder whether esoteric science questions can ever be explained adequately in prose, this book is a heartening answer." | |
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Mercury | |
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"Rich gem of a book....There is a quality that sets it apart. Perhaps it is the great clarity of the writing, the excellent pacing, or the careful weighing of what is important....This is the very model of what a popular science book should be." | |
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Booklist | |
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"Through a Universe Darkly reads like a thinking person's thriller....Marcia Bartusiak is the space-age illuminator of manuscripts." | |
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The Virginian-Pilot/Ledger-Star | |
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"A comprehensive and entertaining look at the history of our knowledge of the universe and what we may soon find out." | |
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Science News | |
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"Through a Universe Darkly is well written, exceedingly accurate...and full of enticing tidbits." | |
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Sky & Telescope | |
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"Highly entertaining and insightful....A superb book." | |
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IEEE Spectrum | |
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"Entertaining and informative...a lively trip through astronomy's last 2 1/2 millennia....Those who want to learn about where we are, or are not, right now in our understanding of the cosmos (not to mention a great deal about the scientific personality and how scientists do their thing) should enjoy and appreciate [it]." | |
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Daily Press, Newport News, Virginia | |
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"Through a Universe Darkly is a delight. Marcia Bartusiak unfolds nothing less than the history of the universe and everything in it--including the people who understand and appreciate it. Her lyrical language and imaginative analogies animate the physics, making it sparkle and leaving indelible imprints on the mind's eye." | |
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K. C. Cole, science writer, The Los Angeles Times | |
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"Through a Universe Darkly brings scientists and their work to life. It is also an important contribution to the story of women in science. How refreshing to see distinguished women treated on par with their equally distinguished male colleagues." | |
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Margaret Geller, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics | |
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"From the Ethers of the ancient Greeks and nineteenth-century scientists to the mysterious dark matter of today, Marcia Bartusiak takes us on a spell-binding tour of the universe--seen and unseen--and how we came to know it. A magnificent book." | |
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Michael Riordan, author of The Hunting of the Quark | |
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"With immense learning, a sharp eye for human detail, and a keen sense of scientific history, Marcia Bartusiak takes us on a journey through the human quest to answer the eerie question, 'What is the universe made of?' Bartusiak tells the story with great elegance." | |
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Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone | |
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"Marcia Bartusiak's Through a Universe Darkly weaves together the key strands of our knowledge of the universe. Carefully crafted and highly readable." | |
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Donald Goldsmith, author of The Astronomers | |