This book explores the biggest gaps in current research of the universe. The text covers topics such as dark matter, dark energy, the Hubble constant/tension, deaths of massive stars, mysteries associated with black holes, neutron stars, and binary/ multiple systems. Written at a general and accessible level, each chapter also contains separate panel inserts with more technical explanations, as well as references for further details. As a highly useful reference book it provides a summary of where mysteries in the universe lie and exciting new avenues of future research. The text fills an important gap in current scientific literature and appeals to general audiences, astronomy students, and scientists in other disciplines.

Key Features

• Appeals to a broad audience on a topic that is universally interesting.

• Useful for a general audience, as well as students looking to choose a research field and scientist in other fields desiring a better handle on the sub-fields of astrophysics research.

• Invites the reader to ponder fundamental questions and engage in the pursuit of understanding our universe.

Nicole Lloyd-Ronning is an astrophysicist in Northern New Mexico who studies all aspects of the physics behind the deaths of massive stars, the black hole-accretion disk systems they leave behind, the relativistic jets they launch, and the role these events play in global star formation throughout the history of our universe. She received the Distinguished Mentor Award at Los Alamos National Lab in 2019, the Faculty Initiative Award at University of New Mexico, Los Alamos in 2020 and the Los Alamos National Lab Community Medal in 2021.