A01=Alan E. Rubin
Aristarchus (crater)
Astronomer
Astrophysics
Author_Alan E. Rubin
Carbonaceous chondrite
Category=PGS
Category=WNX
Chondrite
Cosmic Background Explorer
Cosmic dust
Cosmic ray
Crater chain
Decay product
Discovery and exploration of the Solar System
Earth's magnetic field
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_science
Exoplanet
Extraterrestrial life
Formation and evolution of the Solar System
Geologist
Giant planet
Giant-impact hypothesis
Gravity anomaly
Heliocentrism
Impact crater
Impact event
Impact structure
Iron meteorite
Jupiter
Lunar eclipse
Magnetic anomaly
Magnetosphere
Mars Attacks
Martian meteorite
Mesosiderite
Meteor Crater
Meteor shower
Meteorite
Meteorite fall
Meteoritics
Meteoroid
Moon landing conspiracy theories
Moon rock
Nebular hypothesis
Nuclear explosion
Nuclear warfare
Occultation
Oort cloud
Panspermia
Planet
Planetary body
Planetary nebula
Planetary science
Planetary system
Planetesimal
Plutonium
Projectile
Radiation damage
Radioactive decay
Radionuclide
Remnants (science fiction)
Rings of Saturn
Runaway greenhouse effect
Silicate
Small Solar System body
Solar eclipse
Solar flare
Solar mass
Solar System
Spacecraft
Supernova
Tektite
Unstable molecules
Uranus
Product details
- ISBN 9780691117430
- Weight: 539g
- Dimensions: 152 x 235mm
- Publication Date: 15 Mar 2004
- Publisher: Princeton University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
The solar system has always been a messy place in which gravity wreaks havoc. Moons form, asteroids and comets crash into planets, ice ages commence, and dinosaurs disappear. By describing the dramatic consequences of such disturbances, this authoritative and entertaining book reveals the fundamental interconnectedness of the solar system--and what it means for life on Earth. After relating a brief history of the solar system, Alan Rubin describes how astronomers determined our location in the Milky Way. He provides succinct and up-to-date accounts of the energetic interactions among planetary bodies, the generation of the Earth's magnetic field, the effects of other solar-system objects on our climate, the moon's genesis, the heating of asteroids, and the origin of the mysterious tektites. Along the way, Rubin introduces us to the individual scientists--including the famous, the now obscure, and the newest generation of researchers--who have enhanced our understanding of the galactic neighborhood.
He shows how scientific discoveries are made; he discusses the uncertainty that presides over the boundaries of knowledge as well as the occasional reluctance of scientists to change their minds even when confronted by compelling evidence. This fresh historical perspective reveals science as it is: an imperfect but self-correcting enterprise. Journeying to the frontiers of knowledge, Rubin concludes with the exciting realm of astrobiology. He chronicles the history of the search for life on Mars and describes cutting-edge lines of astrobiological inquiry, including panspermia (the possible transfer of life from planet to planet), the likelihood of technologically advanced alien civilizations in our galaxy, and our probable responses to alien contact. Authoritative and up-to-date but also entertaining and fluidly written, Disturbing the Solar System will appeal to any reader who has ever picked up a rock or gazed at the moon with a sense of wonder.
Alan E. Rubin is a research geochemist in the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of more than 120 scientific papers. In honor of his research contributions, asteroid 6227 was named Alanrubin in 2002.
