Catching Stardust: Comets, Asteroids and the Birth of the Solar System - Rilegato

Starkey, Natalie

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 1472944003 ISBN 13: 9781472944009

Casa editrice: Bloomsbury Sigma, 2018

Riassunto

'A promising debut.' New Scientist

Icy, rocky, sometimes dusty, always mysterious - comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants, formed within a swirling cloud of gas and dust in the area of space that eventually hosted the Sun and its planets. Locked within each of these extra-terrestrial objects is the 4.6-billion-year wisdom of Solar System events, and by studying them at close quarters using spacecraft we can coerce them into revealing their closely-guarded secrets. This offers us the chance to answer some fundamental questions about our planet and its inhabitants.

Exploring comets and asteroids also allows us to shape the story of Earth's future, enabling us to protect our precious planet from the threat of a catastrophic impact from space, and maybe to even recover valuable raw materials from them. This cosmic bounty could be as useful in space as it is on Earth, providing the necessary fuel and supplies for humans as they voyage into deep space to explore more distant locations within the Solar System.

Catching Stardust tells the story of these enigmatic celestial objects, revealing how scientists are using them to help understand a crucial time in our history - the birth of the Solar System, and everything contained within it.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

Well presented and bridges many gaps between different observational methods. (Science)

Astonishing...a promising debut (New Scientist 2018-03-24)

Natalie Starkey has packed this book full of information on the minor bodies of our solar system, which are key to understanding how things got the way they are today - a must-have for anyone interested in where we came from. (Matt Taylor, ESA Rosetta Project Scientist)

Catching Stardust builds a strong case for why continuing to explore comets and asteroids is so important to understanding our past and in shaping our future. (Jessica Sunshine, Professor of Astronomy, University of Maryland)

An action-packed narrative that really draws in the reader to the thrills and challenged of exploring the true nature of our Solar System. (Lucy McFadden, Emerita at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre)

A fast-paced journey through time and space under the enthusiastic guidance of space geologist Natalie Starkey. Highly recommended. (Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary Sciences at The Open University)

Descrizione del libro:

Takes us up close and personal with comets, and explains how we can use these ancient voyagers to understand our place in the Solar System.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Bloomsbury Sigma
• Data di pubblicazione: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1472944003
• ISBN 13: 9781472944009
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 256