Falling Sky The Science And History Of Meteorites And Why We Should Learn To Love Them

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780762778287
• ISBN10: 0762778288
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-10-18
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Did an enormous collision in the Asteroid Belt, orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter, bombard Earth with meteorites 470 million years ago? Astonishing new research suggests it did, and a revolutionary theory is emerging that this bombardment resulted in the single greatest increase in biological diversity on the planet since the origin of life. Introducing these discoveries to the general public for the first time, Ted Nield challenges the view that meteorites are bad news. Tracing the history of meteorites from the first recorded strike to the videos made routinely today, he reveals the fascinating ways in which meteorites have transformed from omens of doom to a stepping stone to Mars in 21st-century space exploration. The Falling Skywill shatter everything you thought you knew about one of the most terrifying forces in the universe.

Author Biography

Ted Nield is the author of Supercontinent and is editor of Geoscientist magazine. Former chair of the Association of British Science Writers, he is a fellow of the Geological Society. He lives in London.