The Irresistible Attraction Of Gravity

The mystery of gravity has captivated us for centuries. But what is gravity and how does it work? This engaging book delves into the bizarre and often counter-intuitive world of gravitational physics. Join distinguished astrophysicist Professor Luciano Rezzolla on this virtual journey into Einstein's world of gravity, with each milestone presenting ever more fascinating aspects of gravitation. Through gentle exposure to concepts such as spacetime curvature and general relativity, you will discover some of the most curious consequences of gravitational physics, such as black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves. The author presents and explains one of the most impressive scientific achievements of recent times: the first image of a supermassive black hole. Written by one of the key scientists involved in producing these results, you'll get a behind-the-scenes view of how the image was captured and discover what happens to matter and light near a black hole. Written by an expert with first-hand experience in the experimental and theoretical challenges encountered, so the reader has a knowledgeable guide in their journey to understanding the mysteries of black holes, neutrons stars and gravitational waves Uses numerous examples and analogies from everyday experience to explore the fascinating and bizarre aspects of general relativity in a very accessible, easily digestible way Through the gradual exposure to concepts such as spacetime curvature and gravity, the reader will become familiar with terminology that is often misused in the media Carefully explains how the first image of a supermassive black hole, M87, was made, which has been hailed as 'the photo of the century'