Asteroids: Relics of Ancient Time

by Michael K. Shepard

Where do asteroids come from and what are they made of? What clues do they hold about the evolution of the Solar System? Scientists have catalogued hundreds of thousands of asteroids, and many are thought to contain water and amino acids, the building blocks of life. Michael K. Shepard tells the fascinating story of their discovery, and what they can tell us about the history of our own planet. He describes how we find and study asteroids, what they look like through the eyes of powerful telescopes and spacecraft, and plans for future sample return missions. This timely book interweaves accessible scientific explanations with historical background and personal narrative, providing an engaging read for anyone curious about asteroids and what they may mean for our future - both as threats and opportunities.

Genres: Astronomy

368 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2015

Reviews

[Tanwen Cooper]

A good bridge book for those with a good grounding in physics, geology or space science but who aren't necessarily experts in this particular field. Very readable, giving a good overview of all things asteroids. However it does lull into text book feel in places, using abbreviations when they're not really needed, making the text a little impenetrable in places.

[Jon Pennycook]

A good overview of the topic

[Sol Rezza]

A great book for astronomy lovers and for those of us who are beginning to venture into this science.

[Michal Paszkiewicz]

A really fascinating book on asteroids, that is primarily a history, but also a great study book.

It assumes no prior knowledge, isn't very mathematical and is highly readable.