Discover the Mysteries of Our Universe Weird Universe is your gateway to the wonders of space. Have you ever looked up at the night sky and marveled at the mysteries hidden beyond the stars? This book takes that curiosity and turns it into an accessible, fun introduction to space, packed with all the weirdness we've discovered out there. Unlock the wonders of space with a fresh and exciting perspective. Erika Hamden, a renowned astrophysicist and educator, brings her passion for space to life in this engaging book. With years of experience studying the cosmos, Hamden specializes in making complex topics fun and easy to understand. Her expertise shines through as she leads readers on an exploration of the strangest and most awe-inspiring phenomena in space. Whether you're fascinated by the biggest black holes, curious about the history of NASA, or simply want to explore the strange and magnificent things we've found in outer space, this book is for you. No prior knowledge required—just a desire to understand more about the cosmos and its connection to life here on Earth.. See how space exploration shapes our everyday world. Space isn’t just an abstract concept—it plays a crucial role in shaping the technology we use every day. From NASA’s breakthroughs to innovations inspired by our exploration of the cosmos, Hamden shows how space discoveries influence our world. You’ll also gain insight into the process behind these findings, from the questions scientists ask to the groundbreaking answers they uncover. By the end of the book, you’ll understand not just what we know about the universe, but how we’ve come to know it. Inside, you’ll find: A clear, engaging look at black holes, galaxies, and the history of NASA, explained in simple terms. - Fascinating insights into how scientists make new discoveries about space, with a focus on how it all connects to us here on Earth. - Fun and accessible content perfect for all ages, including those learning space for kids and adults who want to dive deeper into the world of astronomy. If you liked Astrophysics for People in a Hurry , The Illustrated Brief History of Time , or Not Necessarily Rocket Science , you’ll love Weird Universe . “Dr. Hamden's fresh, funny take on our wildly strange universe will leave you laughing...while also expanding your understanding of our place in the cosmos.” —Michelle Nelson, executive producer of  Mission Unstoppable  on CBS “ Weird Universe is a brilliant, raucous delight. With her gift for storytelling, Dr. Hamden reveals the quirks and wonders of our universe in a way that’s simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny and deeply informative. This book is a must-read for anyone, science lover or not, who wants to explore just how strange space is. Prepare to laugh, learn, and look at the stars a little differently.” —Dr. Sarafina El-Badry Nance, Author of Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark Dr. Erika Hamden is an American astrophysicist and associate professor at the University of Arizona and Steward Observatory. Her research focuses on developing ultraviolet (UV) detector technology, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV/VIS) instrumentation and spectroscopy, and galaxy evolution. She served as the project scientist and project manager of a UV multi-object spectrograph, FIREBall-2, that is designed to observe the circumgalactic medium (CGM). She is a 2019 TED fellow. She lives in Phoenix, AZ. From Chapter 2: Black Holes: A mathematical novelty that turned out to be real. Also, not a vacuum cleaner. In popular culture, black holes are insatiable monsters, lurking hidden in space, waiting to eat everything and everything wandering by. Beware!! But in reality, black holes are, while technical insatiable, incredibly well behaved and at least from an external perspective, completely predictable. Of course, this can all be true AND at the same time, black holes are incredibly weird. Our understanding of the nature of space-time within them breaks down completely at the very center of the black hole, and any indestructible observers falling into the black hole experience the universe in such a strange way that space and time appear to have swapped. Black holes are the universe at its most bizarre and spectacular. The concept of a black hole, defined as something with enough gravity that nothing can escape from it, not even light, has been around for a surprisingly long amount of time. In the late 1700s, English astronomer John Michell theorized a star so big that light couldn’t escape from the pull of gravity. In this conception, the density of such a “dark star” is the same as that of the sun, but the star would have to be 500 times larger in diameter. The escape velocity from its surface would be faster than the speed of light. Light would start moving away from the star, and eventually slow down and get pulled back to the star. This theory was briefly popular and then fell out of favor as our understandi