The Meteorite Hunters
eBook - ePub

The Meteorite Hunters

On the Trail of Extraterrestrial Treasures and the Secrets Inside Them

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Meteorite Hunters

On the Trail of Extraterrestrial Treasures and the Secrets Inside Them

About this book

Want to join the ultimate cosmic treasure hunt?

'They fall from the sky, and tell us about the universe: a passionate story of the excitement and the science of searching for and deciphering meteorites.' Carlo Rovelli

Meteors, with their ethereal, glowing trails slashing through the atmosphere, have entranced us for centuries. But these extraterrestrial visitors are also inestimably valuable. Not just for collectors, who can make their fortunes tracking them down, but for scientists too. Meteorites are the most ancient objects we know, unblemished time capsules from the birth of the solar system.

Following in the footsteps of passionate hobbyists, ground-breaking scientists and intrepid adventurers, Joshua Howgego takes a rollicking ride through the world of meteorite hunting. Join the seasoned practitioners braving the elements as they scour the Sahara and ice sheets of Antarctica. Discover how, closer to home, one unlikely hero – a self-taught jazz guitarist – is uncovering the countless micrometeorites scattered across the rooftops of our cities. And meet the professor searching for the rarest of the rare: fossil meteorites, entombed in rock since the days of the dinosaurs.

Finding these stones from space is just the beginning. As scientists tease out their secrets, they piece together an unexpected new history of the solar system, with implications that extend to one of the most fundamental questions we can ask: how did life on earth begin?

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
At the moment all of our mobile-responsive ePub books are available to download via the app. Most of our PDFs are also available to download and we're working on making the final remaining ones downloadable now. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Meteorite Hunters by Joshua Howgego in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Author’s Note
  2. Prologue • In the Basement
  3. Part One • The Hunt
  4. Chapter One • The First Meteorites
  5. Chapter Two • Modern Meteorite Hunters
  6. Chapter Three • Tracking Fireballs
  7. Chapter Four • The Mystery of the Missing Meteorites
  8. Chapter Five • On the Rooftops
  9. Part Two • The Secrets
  10. Chapter Six • An Unexpected History of the Solar System
  11. Chapter Seven • The Origins of Our Oceans
  12. Chapter Eight • Space Fossils
  13. Chapter Nine • Where Meteorites Come From
  14. Epilogue • Back in the Basement
  15. Acknowledgements
  16. Notes on Sources
  17. Image Section
  18. Copyright Page