An Introduction to Astrobiology

David A Rothery

ISBN 10: 1107600936 / ISBN 13: 9781107600935

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2011

About this Item

How can life begin? How common is it elsewhere in the Universe? Written and edited by planetary scientists and astrobiologists, this textbook is an introduction to the origin and nature of life, the habitable environments in our Solar System and the search for exoplanets. This new edition has been thoroughly revised to take into account the latest developments in this field. It now covers arsenic-tolerant extremophiles, burgeoning successes in exoplanet detection, results of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan and a re-examination of the habitability of Mars. Ideal for introductory courses on the subject, the textbook is also suitable for self-study. It highlights important concepts and techniques in boxed summaries. There are questions and answers throughout the text, as well as exercises with full solutions. Online resources include electronic versions of figures from the book, example assignments and suggested answers and links to websites containing relevant video clips and news stories.

Seller Inventory # CIN1107600936A

Bibliographic Details

• Title: An Introduction to Astrobiology
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1107600936
• ISBN 13: 9781107600935
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: Fair

About this title

Synopsis

How can life begin? How common is it elsewhere in the Universe? Written and edited by planetary scientists and astrobiologists, this textbook is an introduction to the origin and nature of life, the habitable environments in our Solar System and the search for exoplanets. This new edition has been thoroughly revised to take into account the latest developments in this field. It now covers arsenic-tolerant extremophiles, burgeoning successes in exoplanet detection, results of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan and a re-examination of the habitability of Mars. Ideal for introductory courses on the subject, the textbook is also suitable for self-study. It highlights important concepts and techniques in boxed summaries. There are questions and answers throughout the text, as well as exercises with full solutions. Online resources include electronic versions of figures from the book, example assignments and suggested answers and links to websites containing relevant video clips and news stories.

About the Authors

David A. Rothery is a volcanologist and planetary scientist at The Open University, with a background in geological remote sensing and a special fascination for the satellites of the outer planets.

Iain Gilmour is Head of the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute at The Open University where he undertakes research on meteorites and large scale planetary impacts.

Mark A. Sephton is Professor of Organic Geochemistry and Meteoritics in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London. His research interests focus on organic records on Earth and in space.