This text provides an exploration of our planet and beyond. The opening chapters lay bare the structure of the Earth from the surface down to the core - the white-heat engine that powers our world. Next, the great forces of nature - volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes and other destructive phenomena - are dramatically brought to life with illustrations. Life itself has also transformed our planet and this eventful study is recounted from the first stirrings of single-cell organisms to the impact of humans at the beginning of the new millennium. The central section of the book takes a closer look at the oceans revealing the amazing undersea landscape and the creatures that live there. It also examines people's enduring fascination with the sea, from intrepid early explorers to the artists who have been inspired by its mystery and power. The final section of the "Kingfisher Book of the Universe" breaks free from Earth's gravity and embarks on a tour of the solar system and then into the vastness of space. It explores a changing, sometimes violent, Universe in which stars are born and die, galaxies collide and black holes devour huge clouds of gas and stars. Along the way, reader's discover what happened in the first few seconds after the Big Bang and find out how the Universe may end. This book should be useful for anyone who has ever been curious about the nature of our amazing planet and the Universe of which the Earth is but a tiny part.