The Meteorite Hunters

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 Earth’s 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.

We’re only just starting to unlock the secrets of these extra-terrestrial visitors. Travelling the world, the New Scientist's 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.