State of the Universe 2008 captures the excitement and vibrancy of modern astronomical research. It details discoveries made from the world's leading ground based and orbiting observatories in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology in the last year. The volume also presents brief summaries of the major announcements and news items. Leading astronomers and science writers fully explain all major discoveries and events, and web links are included for all major news stories, providing a bridge between the public news stories and the actual research web sites. Written at an accessible level for both novice and experienced astronomy enthusiasts, this volume enables the reader to stay up to date with the rapid pace and development of modern astronomical research.