Since astronomers first looked up into the nebulous sky, humanity has been occupied with the great mysteries of our universe. How did it all begin? Will it ever end? What is our small planet's significance within this vast expanse of space?

Within recent years scientists have made huge leaps in answering these questions. Anne Rooney narrates the story of our universe and the scientific discoveries that have led us to these conclusions. Learn about the Big Bang, the life cycle of stars, dark matter and the enigmas that still trouble us today, such as why the expansion of our universe is now accelerating. Also discover the pioneering men and women who aided such discoveries, such as Henrietta Leavitt, Georges Lemaître and Edwin Hubble.

Including fact boxes, useful diagrams and stunning space photography, this illustrated guide to the universe provides an engaging and comprehensive introduction to this 13.8 billion-year history.

Anne Rooney is a full-time author living in Cambridge, England with a menagerie of animals and daughters. She sulks all winter and flourishes in the sunshine.

Before becoming a writer, she studied and taught medieval English and French literature. She writes short books for short children, longer books for longer children, and books of any length for adults, without regard to the size of the reader.

Her website is http://www.annerooney.com. She blogs as Stroppy Author at http://www.stroppyauthor.com. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge from September 2014, and a member of the Society of Authors, Scattered Authors Society and National Union of Journalists.