How old is the Universe? Are there any asteroids out there threatening the Earth? Is there life to be found elsewhere in the Universe? Will the sun shine forever?

Those and many other questions central to human self-understanding are being asked daily in various observatories and planetariums. Where do we come from? Where are we going? What role do we play?

The astronomer, Franz Kerschbaum, together with his colleagues, Ernst Dorfi, Rudolf Dvorak, Elke Pilat-Lohinger, Katrien Kohlenberg, Thomas Posch and Christian Theis, of the University of Vienna Observatory, have assembled the most frequently asked questions and answer them in an easily understandable yet scientifically well-founded language. Franz Simbürger created out of those most popular questions about astronomy, a highly-successful weekly broadcast. Now he has turned that concept into a book.

About the author:

University Professor Dr Franz Kerschbaum was born in 1963. He is head of the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Vienna. He is specialised in the exploration of the late phase of star development, the development of new astronomic intruments and the history of sciences. Research work in France, Sweden, Spain and Chile. Advisor to a string of international institutions such as the European Space Agency, various universities and scientific journals. An integral part of his scientific work is the organisation of exhibitions, articles, lectures and interdisciplinarian projects.

Franz Simbürger was born in 1954. He is head of the science department of the Austrian Broadcasting Company. He studied law, paedagogy, and publicity. He has worked in social and media science since 1979. Freelance work for "Die Presse" newspaper and the Austrian Broadcasting Company. From 1987 to 1998, editor for domestic politics on Austrian Broadcasting Radio focusing on education, medicine, social politics and ecology. He has also worked as editor for the television programme, "Inland Report" for the Austrian Broadcasting Company.