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Alien Oceans

The Search for Life in the Depths of Space
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( 1,032 ratings, 158 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Alien Oceans explores the extraordinary search for life beneath the icy crusts of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons, such as Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. NASA scientist Kevin Hand explains how these distant oceans, which may hold more water than Earth, could harbour life. Drawing on his expertise and global expeditions, Hand combines planetary science and biology to reveal how studying Earth's oceans informs our understanding of these alien waters and the origins of life. The book looks ahead to the thrilling possibilities of discovering life within our solar system and beyond.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers fascinated by space exploration, astrobiology, and planetary science. It suits those interested in scientific discovery and the search for extraterrestrial life, especially individuals who appreciate accessible yet insightful nonfiction grounded in current NASA research.

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Inside the epic quest to find life on the water-rich moons at the outer reaches of the solar system.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

NPR's Best Books of 2020

American Scientist's 2020 Science Book Gift Guide

Inside the epic quest to find life on the water-rich moons at the outer reaches of the solar system.

Where is the best place to find life beyond Earth? We often look to Mars as the most promising site in our solar system, but recent scientific missions have revealed that some of the most habitable real estate may actually lie farther away. Beneath the frozen crusts of several of the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn lurk vast oceans that may have been in existence for as long as Earth, and together may contain more than fifty times its total volume of liquid water. Could there be organisms living in their depths? Alien Oceans reveals the science behind the thrilling quest to find out.

Kevin Peter Hand is one of today's leading NASA scientists, and his pioneering research has taken him on expeditions around the world. In this captivating account of scientific discovery, he brings together insights from planetary science, biology, and the adventures of scientists like himself to explain how we know that oceans exist within moons of the outer solar system, like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. He shows how the exploration of Earth's oceans is informing our understanding of the potential habitability of these icy moons, and draws lessons from what we have learned about the origins of life on our own planet to consider how life could arise on these distant worlds.

Alien Oceans describes what lies ahead in our search for life in our solar system and beyond, setting the stage for the transformative discoveries that may await us.

Series: Princeton ANZ Paperbacks

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691207889

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 15 color + 22 b/w illus.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Kevin Peter Hand is a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he has served as deputy chief scientist for solar system exploration and is leading an effort to land a spacecraft on the surface of Europa. He has helped lead expeditions to the glaciers of Kilimanjaro, the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and the sea ice of the North Pole. He lives in Los Angeles. Twitter @Alienoceans

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    NPR's Best Books of 2020 American Scientist's 2020 Science Book Gift Guide Inside the epic quest to find life on the water-rich moons at the outer reaches of the solar system. Where is the best place to find life beyond Earth? We often look to Mars as the most promising site in our solar system, but recent scientific missions have...
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