Meteorite: How Stones from Outer Space Made Our World

Explore the universe and immerse yourself in the story of our solar system, planet, and life through meteorites.

 

"Meteorite is a treasure"--Wall Street Journal

Meteorites have long been seen as portents of fate and messages from the gods, their fiery remains inspiring worship and giving rise to legends that have persisted for millennia. But beyond the lore, meteorites tell an even greater story: that of our solar system. In Meteorite, geologist Tim Gregory shows that beneath the charred crusts of these celestial stones lies a staggering diversity of rock types. Their unique constituents, vibrant colors, and pungent smells contain thrilling tales of interstellar clouds, condensing stardust, and the fiery collisions of entire worlds. Gregory explores the world of meteorites to uncover new insights into what our solar system was like before our sun became a star, into the forging of our planet, and into the emergence of life on it. Humans have long looked to the skies for answers to big questions. Meteorite reveals how science is finally arriving at those answers.

Tim Gregory is a research scientist at the British Geological Survey in Nottingham, where he studies the geology of the early solar system using meteorites. He has a PhD from the University of Bristol and lives in Nottingham, UK.