Astrophysics for Supervillains

Learn how to destroy the universe with the power of astrophysics in this fun and factual space book for kids.

"Could you crash the Moon into the Earth? If the Sun explodes, would we all get vaporized? What’s the weather like on Mercury?"

Discover the answers to these questions and many more at the Supervillain Academy: the magnificently morbid school for young villains in training. Sure, facts about space are great, but discovering that if you threw someone into a black hole, they would be spaghettified – stretched out long and thin before getting squashed smaller than an atom – is truly, fascinatingly gruesome.

A factual and full-of-fun astronomy book for young big thinkers and budding scientists.

• An accessible and enjoyable introduction to astrophysics, explaining big topics in a simple way
• Packed with facts about the solar system, galaxies and the universe
• Each chapter is linked to science topics that children learn at school
• Scientific concepts are brought to life with humorous illustrations

Based on real questions from children, expert astronomer and author Dr. Matt Bothwell has created this kids' science book to teach astrophysics to middle graders. Perfect for fans of Kay’s Marvellous Medicine and the Horrible Histories series, Astrophysics for Supervillains is the first book of the Supervillain Academy series that will have curious kids eager to get to school on time!Dr. Matt Bothwell is the public astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. He currently runs the university’s astronomy public engagement program. He visits more than 100 schools and libraries every year to talk about space and runs astronomy evenings for thousands of brownies, guides, cubs, and scouts. During the 2020 lockdowns, he presented a series of interactive astronomy lectures for children on YouTube.

He is the author of adult title The Invisible Universe (Why There’s More to Reality Than Meets the Eye), and his writing has appeared online in The Daily Beast, The Guardian, and Writer’s Digest.