The saga of our universe--its birth, life, and death--is a tale of such epic proportions and complexity that only now, a million years after the dawn of humankind, are we in a position to tell it. In Universe, Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest help us to understand the scientific evidence that has replaced the superstition and religious dogma of history. Not only do astronomers now know how the universe began, they have also plotted the destiny of the cosmos, including Earth's inevitable death in five billion years' time. Among the authors' previous collaborations are The DK Space Encyclopedia, The Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Space, Galaxies and Quasars, How the Universe Works, and The Guide to the Galaxy.