Unknown Universe in Astronomy Now
My unabridged interview with the editor of the UK's best astronomy magazine
The December 2025 issue of the UK-focused Astronomy Now magazine spotlighted seasonal stars and festive gifts for the winter. I was fortunate enough to be invited by the magazine’s then incoming Editor, Stuart Clark, to discuss my popular title, Unknown Universe, which profiles the first years of the James Webb Space Telescope through more than 120 of its astonishing images. Space (by which I mean page space) is always in short supply, and I’m hardly known for my brevity, so the printed item had to be downsized. As such, for completeness, you can find the unabridged interview below.
How did the idea for the book come about?
When Webb’s first public images were released in July 2022, I could tell that astronomy books would never be the same again. As the first two launch anniversaries passed, the library grew and I occasionally considered when it would be appropriate to celebrate the mission with a dedicated title. In the autumn of 2023, my book Diamonds Everywhere was released. It’s a project I’m very proud of, but it was a huge undertaking and after its release, I intended to take a break from writing. However, my incessant habit for sharing and deciphering every new JWST image to friends and family ultimately led to several people suggesting I pitch a new title. Collins (HarperCollins) was very enthusiastic, accepting the pitch in early 2024. The book was published in October that same year and, after a great reception, a paperback arrived this summer.
Who is your book aimed at?
Anyone who is captivated by the bewildering beauty of the images made possible by the observatory. They look gorgeous in print, and invite admiration regardless whether you understand the details, but you can also read my insights to discover their scientific secrets if you’d like to know more.
How did you go about making a book on JWST stand out from the crowd?
Multiple authors actually began to tackle this subject around the same time, and it seems we all took different approaches. For myself, I wanted the images to reach from edge to edge across each spread, and have the text be more supplementary than the other way around. I included a comprehensive but accessible technical introduction to the telescope and its history, with original 3D renders and diagrams, and also processed images myself to furnish the pages with objects not widely seen before. I had the great privilege of including a foreword by my former professor, Mark McCaughrean. who was a senior advisor for Science and Exploration at ESA, and is on the JWST Science Working Group. Mark kindly gave me permission to include some of his own magnificent images.
Now that we’re four years into the JWST’s mission, which of its discoveries do you think has had the most scientific impact?
No doubt this will change in the long mission years ahead of us, but to date I think JWST has been the most disruptive in the area of galaxy evolution. The JADES survey reveals extremely distant galaxies, presumed to be very young as they appear to us now (just a few hundred million years old.) Yet some of these supposed infant galaxies are chemically or structurally mature, harbour black holes more massive than we would expect, or are simply brighter than models predict. Did the first galaxies just develop quickly or is there a flaw with the established theory? The latter is an exciting prospect.
What is your desert-island astronomy book (the one book you can’t imagine never being able to read again)?
I wouldn’t last long without my copy of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. It’s a masterpiece that elegantly interweaves science communication and pure imagination.
What’s next for you?
I have three titles on the slate for 2026, two co-authored with my good friend Dr. Ryan French. The Little Book of Eclipses (June) will serve to inspire budding eclipses-chasers of both lunar and solar events. Cosmic Light (September) takes the concept of Unknown Universe to the vibrant world of multi-wavelength astronomy. Northern Lights: The Definitive Guide to Auroras (August, 1st ed 2021) is receiving a greatly expanded and updated second edition. Amongst all that, I’m close to finishing my first sci-fi novel, aimed at teens (and adults who are young at heart!)
Unknown Universe was first published by Collins (HarperCollins UK) in October 2024. Due to popular appeal, it recieved a paperback edition in August 2025.