Comets, Meteorites & Asteroids

 
 

Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe by Peter D. Ward, Donald Brownlee Hardcover from Springer ISBN: 0387987010 The sweeping diversity of complex life on Earth, Ward and Brownlee argue, evolved out of an extraordinary set of physical conditions and chance events that would be extremely hard to duplicate--though not impossible. Many planets throughout the vastness of the Universe may be teeming with microbial life, but advancement beyond this stage is very rare. Everyone with an interest in the possible extent of life in the Universe and the nature of life's evolution on our own planet will be fascinated by Rare Earth. "...likely to cause a revolution in thinking..." The New York Times "...[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..." Newsday (New York) "...a sobering and valuable perspective..." Science "...a startling new hypothesis..." Library Journal "...Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..." The Economist "...provocative, significant, and sweeping..." Northwest Science & Technology "...a stellar example of clear writing..." American Scientist "Do you feel lucky? Well do ya?" asked Dirty Harry. Paleontologist Peter Ward and astronomer Donald Brownlee think all of us should feel lucky. Their rare Earth hypothesis predicts that while simple, microbial life will be very widespread in the universe, complex animal or plant life will be extremely rare. Ward and Brownlee admit that "It is very difficult to do statistics with an N of 1. But in our defense, we have staked out a position rarely articulated but increasingly accepted by many astrobiologists." Their new science  is the field of biology ratcheted up to encompass not just life on Earth but also life beyond Earth. It forces us to reconsider the life of our planet as but a single example of how life might work, rather than as the only example.  The revolution in astrobiology during the 1990s was twofold. First, scientists grew to appreciate how incredibly robust microbial life can be, found in the superheated water of deep-sea vents, pools of acid, or even within the crust of the Earth itself. The chance of finding such simple life on other bodies in our solar system has never seemed more realistic. But second, scientists have begun to appreciate how many unusual factors have cooperated to make Earth a congenial home for animal life: Jupiter's stable orbit, the presence of the Moon, plate tectonics, just the right amount of water, the right position in the right sort of galaxy. Ward and Brownlee make a convincing if depressing case for their hypothesis, undermining the principle of mediocrity (or, "Earth isn't all that special") that has ruled astronomy since Copernicus. --Mary Ellen Curtin

Peterson Field Guide to Stars and Planets: Third Edition (Peterson Field Guide Series) by Jay M. Pasachoff, Donald H. Menzel Paperback from Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 0395910994 Provides detailed maps and charts and information about stars, nebulae, galaxies, the planets, comets, asteroids, and meteors.

THE PLANETS by Dava Sobel Paperback from Harper Perennial ISBN: 1841156213

Planetary Sciences by Imke de Pater, Jack J. Lissauer Hardcover from Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521482194 Planetary Sciences presents a comprehensive coverage of this fascinating and expanding field at a level appropriate for graduate students and researchers in the physical sciences. The book explains the wide variety of physical, chemical and geological processes that govern the motions and properties of planets. Observations of the planets, moons, asteroids, comets and planetary rings in our Solar System, as well as extrasolar planets, are described, and the process of planetary formation is discussed.

Introduction to Planetary Science: The Geological Perspective by Gunter Faure, Teresa M. Mensing Hardcover from Springer ISBN: 1402052332 This textbook details basic principles of planetary science that help to unify the study of the solar system. It is organized in a hierarchical manner so that every chapter builds upon preceding ones. Starting with historical perspectives on space exploration and the development of the scientific method, the book leads the reader through the solar system. Coverage explains that the origin and subsequent evolution of planets and their satellites can be explained by applications of certain basic principles of physics, chemistry, and celestial mechanics and that surface features of the solid bodies can be interpreted by principles of geology.

The Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin Hardcover from Free Press ISBN: 0684827573 A leading theorist on Mars exploration discusses the Mars Direct Plan, which he developed for NASA, explaining the possibilities of Martian travel and the cultural and physical rationale for colonizing and terraforming the planet. 25,000 first printing. "For our generation and many that will follow, Mars is the New World," writes Zubrin. This book went to press serendipitously, just as NASA was making its startling if heavily-qualified announcement that simple life may have once existed on the fourth rock from the sun. Zubrin doesn't spend an enormous amount of time arguing why Mars exploration is desirable -- we all want astronauts to go there, don't we? -- but rather devotes the bulk of this book explaining how it can happen on a sensible, bare-bones budget of $20-30 billion and a "travel light and live off the land" philosophy.

Chiron: Rainbow Bridge Between the Inner & Outer Planets (Llewellyn's Modern Astrology Library) by Barbara Hand Clow Paperback from Llewellyn Publications ISBN: 087542094X Discover the inner secrets of Chiron, the most recently discovered planet, and see how it is interpreted in astrological charts with Chiron by renowned astrologer Barbara Hand Clow. Chiron is alchemist and healer, initiator and visionary, teacher of integrity and of bravery.This groundbreaking guide, in print since 1987, explores Chiron's mythology and history and analyzes its meaning in each sign and house in the natal chart. Chiron explores this planet's mythological background and history as well as its effect on astrology. This comprehensive astrology book includes: --The meaning of Chiron when it appears in each house  --The meaning of Chiron in aspect to each planet  --The meaning of Chiron through each sign  --The mythological legacy of Chiron  --A Chiron ephemeris  --Chiron in transit  --Chiron as a bridge between the inner and outer planets Based on over 700 charts from the author's personal files, Chiron is the first book to explore in depth the astrological meanings of this planet. Learn how you can incorporate Chironic wisdom in your astrological readings and your life with this groundbreaking work.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Meteorites
by O. Richard Norton
(Hardcover -- April )

Asteroids: A History
by Curtis Peebles
(Paperback -- September 1, )

Asteroid Rendezvous : NEAR Shoemaker's Adventures at Eros
by Jim Bell (Editor), Jacqueline Mitton (Editor)
(Hardcover -- October )

Chiron and the Healing Journey: An Astrological and Psychological Perspective (Contemporary Astrology)
by Melanie Reinhart
(Paperback -- June )
 

	The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Meteorites by O. Richard Norton (Hardcover -- April )

Comet
by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan (Contributor)
(Paperback -- February )

Dark Matter, Missing Planets and New Comets: Paradoxes Resolved, Origins Illuminated
by Tom Van Flandern
(Paperback -- January )

Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling
by John S. Lewis
(Paperback -- September )
 

	Rain of Iron and Ice: The Very Real Threat of Comet and Asteroid Bombardment (Helix Books) by John S. Lewis (Paperback -- April )

	Meteorites: A Journey through Space and Time by Alex Bevan, et al (Hardcover -- March )

Night Comes to the Cretaceous: Comets, Craters, Controversy, and the Last Days of the Dinosaurs (Harvest Book)
by James Lawrence Powell
(Paperback -- September )
 

	Meteorites: Their Impact on Science and History by Brigitte Zanda (Editor), et al (Paperback -- August )

Mining the Sky: Untold Riches from the Asteroids, Comets, and Planets
by John S. Lewis
(Paperback -- September )

Meteorite Hunter: The Search for Siberian Meteorite Craters
by Roy A. Gallant
(Hardcover -- January 23, )
 

	Comet Hale-Bopp Book: Guide to an Awe-Inspiring Visitor from Deep Space (Frontiers in Astronomy and Earth Science) by Thomas A. Hockey, Thomas Bopp (Paperback -- December )

Meteorites: Messengers from Space
by Fritz Heide
(Paperback -- February )

Impact!: The Threat of Comets and Asteroids
by Gerrit L. Verschuur
(Paperback -- November )
 
 
 
 

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