Special Reports Cosmic Vision THE WORLD & I examines the latest scientific views on the nature of the universe, the recent evidence that is fueling debates, and the new tools that have produced that evidence. Courtesy of Time Inc.  The Chandra X Ray Observatory is an Earth-orbiting space platform dsigned to collect and analyze X rays, an invisble form of radiation associated with violent events such as supernovas and quassars. If all proceeds as scheduled, the 45-foot-long satellite will enter regular service in the early fall. Introduction The big bang model describing the origin, history, scope, and ultimate destiny of the universe is clearly one of the triumphs of modern ... Our Quest of the Cosmos Deciphering the history and current status of the universe has led astronomers to startling concepts about its superdense origin, continuing expansion, subtle curvature, and exotic composition. ... The Astronomer's New Tools Astronomical observation is entering a golden age, thanks to the converging technologies of computers, microelectronics, fiber optics, lasers, detectors, gigantic mirrors, and space operations. ... At Home in the Plasma Universe The cosmos is a vast, interconnected body of invisible magnetic fields guiding electrified streams that become visible only where they converge to spin out galaxies and stars. ...