Here on Earth, how do we know what is happening in distant galaxies? Do the laws of physics we know on earth apply to celestial bodies in the universe? The answer is yes. Astrophysics is a discipline that studies extraterrestrial objects based on the eternal laws of physics. Through it, we can understand how stars form, age and die, how planetary systems form, and how galaxies are related to each other. In this book, James Binney demonstrates the rapid development of the field of astrophysics over the past century and explains how to apply the basic principles of physics - energy, mass and momentum, as well as the two pillars of relativity and quantum mechanics - to reveal major astronomical phenomena from rapidly rotating millisecond pulsars to the collision of giant spiral galaxies, thus opening up the mysteries of the universe to us.
