The moment when matter, along with time and space, came into being is the dramatic subject of The Big Bang: The Birth of Our Universe. Scientists are building an increasingly clear picture of the most important even of all -- the moment the Universe began. The Big Bang theory forms the hypothesis that fifteen billion years ago, the Universe was brought into existence in a searing hot fireball called The Big Bang. as the fireball expanded and cooled, tiny subatomic particles coalesced into atoms. These atoms then merged under the action of gravity to form galaxies and stars. Some of these stars developed planetary systems, and on at least one -- Earth -- a special kind of chemistry developed -- what we know as life. Unraveling this picture of the birth and evolution of the Universe has been one of the greatest triumphs of the human intellect. The challenge now is to find out how the Universe will eventually die. Using the latest research findings and amazing photographs, The Big Bang presents a comprehensive and easy-to-read review of historical and contemporary scientific theories as possible answers to the fundamental questions.