ISBN: 9780691142548

Soon astronomers expect to find alien Earths by the dozens in orbit around distant suns. Before the decade is out, telltale signs that they harbor life may be found. If they are, the rami… Mehr…

Soon astronomers expect to find alien Earths by the dozens in orbit around distant suns. Before the decade is out, telltale signs that they harbor life may be found. If they are, the ramifications for all areas of human thought and endeavor - from religion and philosophy to art and biology - will be breathtaking. In Strange New Worlds , renowned astronomer Ray Jayawardhana brings news from the front lines of the epic quest to find planets - and alien life - beyond our solar system. Only in the past fifteen years, after millennia of speculation, have astronomers begun to discover planets around other stars - hundreds in fact. But the hunt to find a true Earth-like world goes on. In this book, Jayawardhana vividly recounts the stories of the scientists and the remarkable breakthroughs that have ushered in this extraordinary age of exploration. He describes the latest findings - including his own - that are challenging our view of the cosmos and casting new light on the origins and evolution of planets and planetary systems. He reveals how technology is rapidly advancing to support direct observations of Jupiter-like gas giants and super-Earths - rocky planets with several times the mass of our own planet - and how astronomers use biomarkers to seek possible life on other worlds. Strange New Worlds provides an insider's look at the cutting-edge science of today's planet hunters, our prospects for discovering alien life, and the debates and controversies at the forefront of extrasolar-planet research.; Science & Nature, Princeton University Press<

2011, ISBN: 9780691142548

Princeton. 2011. Princeton University Press. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Dustjacket. 9780691142548. 288 pages. hardcover. FROM THE PUBLISHER - In Strange New Worlds, renowned astro… Mehr…

Princeton. 2011. Princeton University Press. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Dustjacket. 9780691142548. 288 pages. hardcover. FROM THE PUBLISHER - In Strange New Worlds, renowned astronomer Ray Jayawardhana brings news from the front lines of the epic quest to find extrasolar planets—and alien life—beyond our solar system. Only in the last fifteen years, after millennia of speculation, have astronomers begun to discover planets around other stars—hundreds in fact, but the hunt to find a true Earth-like world goes on. In this book, Jayawardhana vividly recounts the stories of the scientists and the remarkable breakthroughs that ushered in this extraordinary age of exploration. He describes the latest findings—including his own—that are challenging our view of the cosmos and casting new light on the origins and evolution of planets and planetary systems. He reveals how technology is rapidly advancing to support direct observations of Jupiter-like gas giants and super-Earths—rocky planets several times the mass of our own planet—and how astronomers use biomarkers to seek possible life on other worlds. Strange New Worlds provides an insider’s look at the cutting-edge science of today’s planet hunters, our prospects for discovering alien life, and the debates and controversies at the forefront of extrasolar-planet research. inventory #37849 ISBN: 9780691142548., 0<

ISBN: 9780691142548

""Strange New Worlds" is a very satisfying book that does a thorough and excellent job of tracing the discovery and characterization of extrasolar planets. It is the only popular-level bo… Mehr…

""Strange New Worlds" is a very satisfying book that does a thorough and excellent job of tracing the discovery and characterization of extrasolar planets. It is the only popular-level book that gives full, up-to-date, and in-depth coverage of one of the most exciting and fast-moving fields of scientific research."--Greg Laughlin, coauthor of "The Five Ages of the Universe: Inside the Physics of Eternity""This is quite a good book. Its greatest strengths are the clarity of the writing; the thorough, technically accurate, and very up-to-date coverage of the material; and of course the fascinating topics the author presents."--Edwin L. Turner, Princeton University Media >, [PU: Princeton University Press]<