Meteorite
The Stones From Outer Space That Made Our World
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Meteorite tells the fascinating story of the stones from outer space scattered across our planet. From the impact that finished off the dinosaurs to the dagger made of extraterrestrial iron found in Tutankhamun's tomb, this book is packed full of surprising information, unlikely pioneers and eye-opening science. Dr Tim Gregory explains how these rocky fragments offer clues not just to the earliest origins of everything, but also to humanity's survival into the future.
'A passionate communicator, Tim Gregory conjures colourful environments and events far outside the human' NATURE
'Meticulous and eminently readable, served with clarity, erudition and humour' WALL STREET JOURNAL
'Tim Gregory gets it. He has an uncanny ability to swiftly understand, to clearly explain, and to be joyful' CHRIS HADFIELD
Customer Reviews
Rock on
Author
British. Born and raised in West Yorkshire. Started collecting rocks at age four. Basic degree in geology then PhD in cosmochemistry, which is not the study of why women find Kramer (from Seinfeld) attractive in case you were wondering. This is his first book.
Summary
First, a couple of definitions. A meteor (aka a shooting or falling star) is the visible passage of a glowing meteoroid, micrometeoroid, comet or asteroid through Earth's atmosphere, which we see because it gets heated up by colliding with air molecules in the upper atmosphere. Meteoroids that make it through the atmosphere and crash into the Earth (or the Moon, or other planets), are called meteorites. Most come from the debris of the forming solar system left in the asteroid belt, but some were smashed off the Moon or Mars by incoming there. The author explains the contribution that meteorites have made to the Earth, e.g. bringing in minerals, exterminating dinosaurs, and how the study of them helps determine the age of the Earth, the solar system, and everything. (42, in case you were wondering).
Writing
Clear, crisp prose readily directed at lay readers, which makes good use of narratives associated with famous meteorites. No pictures though, which is a little surprising. At the end of the day, there's a lot more geology than cosmology, which the author probably found rather more exciting than I did, but not enough to put me off.
Bottom line
I've read (or tried to) plenty of books about planets, and stars, and galaxies, and black holes over the years. Meteors not so much, until now. Interesting.