Almost 10,000 nights (and days) passed between the most spectacular image of the Universe taken by the Hubble Space Telescope at Christmas 1995 and the first image from its successor, the James Webb Telescope, in mid-July. last. Astrophysicist David Elbaz has chosen to recount this period rich in discoveries for astrophysics, the mysteries gradually elucidated and those, many, that remain to be understood.
The incomparable popularization talent of the author makes all the richness of the book, punctuated by numerous references to ancient and oriental mythologies. In a poetic tone, over the pages we come across great scientific figures, such as the American Vera Rubin, but also literary figures, such as Edgar Allan Poe, who wonders about the existence of the dark night.
Galactic whirlwinds and serendipity
With grace, David Elbaz takes us into the bubbling heart of galactic whirlpools and then into a desecrated chapel in Barcelona, where the MareNostrum supercomputer is located. The machine was used to simulate the “gas stations” of the Universe, “ the fluttering fleuves » which supply the galaxies with matter, and thanks to which the latter continue to produce stars. Without them, the last star should have lit up 10 billion years ago!
To better understand how scientists address questions that are both pointed and existential, the astrophysicist describes science in the making. Whether it’s the corridors of the American Institute of the Space Telescope or eating rum babas, we discover at the turn of the pages the decisions and the happy coincidences that lead humanity, always a little further in knowledge. .