The Meteorite Hunters (Hardcover)

Joshua Howgego

ISBN 10: 0861549198 / ISBN 13: 9780861549191

Published by Oneworld Publications, London, 2025

About this Item

Hardcover. Planet Earth is under attack: every day, millions of meteoroids plummet through our atmosphere.Fortunately, the majority are minuscule too small to survive the scouring of Earths atmosphere, let alone qualify as planet killers.Those that do make it to Earth offer a unique glimpse of the world beyond our little planet. They are an invaluable scientific resource. The oldest material on Earth 2.5 billion years older than the solar system comes from a meteorite, and the earliest iron tools were made from them. Indeed, the mystery of how life began on Earth may be bound up with a meteorite.Were only just starting to unlock the secrets of these extra-terrestrial visitors. Travelling the world, the New Scientists Joshua Howgego meets the ground-breaking scientists, intrepid explorers and passionate hobbyists redefining our understanding of these stones. From the mystery of the meteorites of Antarctica to the surprising quantity of micrometeorites littering our cities, The Meteorite Hunters takes a rollicking ride through the history and science of these cosmic artifacts. Join the scientists, explorers and hobbyists hunting down the worlds rarest rocks and the secrets within. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780861549191

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Meteorite Hunters (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications, London
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0861549198
• ISBN 13: 9780861549191
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

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?

About the Author

Joshua Howgego is a science journalist based in London. Josh originally trained as a chemist and obtained his PhD at the University of Bristol. He also has a degree in science communication from Imperial College London. After having written for numerous titles, including Times Higher Education, SciDev.Net and Nature, he now works as a feature editor at New Scientist magazine, where he covers physical science. You can follow Josh on twitter @jdhowgego