Heaven's Touch: From Killer Stars to the Seeds of Life, How We Are Connected to the Universe - Hardcover

Kaler, James B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691129460 ISBN 13: 9780691129464

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Did you know that as you read these words showers of high-speed particles from exploding stars are raining down on you? As you gaze into the starry sky, you might feel isolated from the Universe around you--but you're not. This book reveals the startling ways life on Earth is touched by our cosmic environment, and demonstrates why without such contact, life itself wouldn't be possible.

Heaven's Touch embarks on an unforgettable journey across the cosmos, beginning in near space with a look at the gentle ebb and flow of lunar and solar tides. Acclaimed astronomer James Kaler describes their subtle effects on our world and also explores the Sun's more potent influences, such as solar storms that cause auroras, give comets their tails, and knock out power grids on Earth. He ventures across the Solar System to consider how the planets can act to produce climate change, even global disaster. Kaler shows how Jupiter's gravity can throw asteroids toward potentially devastating collision with Earth, and how even our whole Galaxy might hurl comet storms at us. He then takes us into deepest space to describe the cosmic rays launched at us from exploding stars, and considers not just how these exploders might harm us, but how they also join together in the creation of stars and how they serve to populate the Universe with the very building blocks of life.

Informative and entertaining, Heaven's Touch reveals how intimately connected we really are with the dynamic Universe in which we live.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Jim Kaler, who has passionately and expertly described the stars and their vagaries, now brings the whole Universe--from the tides through hypernovae and gamma-ray bursts--to general readers. His writing is not only clear and straightforward but also correct and up to date, addressing both standard topics and the latest astronomical goodies."--Jay M. Pasachoff, Williams College

"Heaven's Touch examines the physical effects of gravity, radiation, solar storms, asteroid and comet impacts, cosmic rays, supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts on our home planet. Its conclusions are significant: our planet does not exist in isolation but rather is part of a complex planetary, stellar, and galactic system whose influences are profound. I found myself propelled along in the reading."--J. Michael Shull, University of Colorado at Boulder

"Heaven's Touch presents the diverse ways that astronomical objects affect the Earth and humans, beyond their visual appearance in the sky. Kaler is a senior astronomer with an excellent reputation as a researcher, educator, and author. There is a lot of good material here that has not featured in very many popular astronomy books."--Chris Impey, author of The Living Cosmos

"Heaven's Touch contains much of interest that should be informative and engaging to readers."--Donald Brownlee, coauthor of Rare Earth

About the Author:

James B. Kaler is professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His many books include The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stars and The Hundred Greatest Stars.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0691129460
• ISBN 13: 9780691129464
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264