Alien Planets

Visitors from other planets have long obsessed us. H.G. Wells’ War of Worlds spawned a huge wave of speculative fiction but the roots of such fears run deep in our literature, where the mysteries of o

Are we alone? Or could life on alien worlds really exist? David A. Aguilar, space artist extraordinaire, shows readers what creatures living on extrasolar planets might be like, using real science and

Anyone who claims to have written a comprehensive text on the "interdiscipline" of astrobiology is probably an alien, warns Scharf (Columbia Astrobiology Center, Columbia U.)! Despite the fact that th

This book argues that Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science fiction series often considered to be about distant planets and monsters, is in reality just as much about Britain and Britishness

Are UFO's Alien Spacecraft from other planets or time machines from our future? How does their propulsion system function? Did our ancestors come to earth in spacecraft from another world? Are Stonehe

"Savage probes limitless space in this beautiful and philosophical story. Seamlessly blending scientific exploration with a great adventure full of humour, this is a brilliant picture book." - The Bookseller"send(s) a subtle yet potent message that science and space exploration are for everyone. Clever, funny, and worth discussing." - STARRED Kirkus ReviewJoin Chloe Savage -winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2024: Best Illustrated Book- on ajourney across the cosmoswith Commander Julia, her team of Astro scientists and her trusty dog, Khan, as they search for life in the stars. Travelling for ten years in their packed spaceship, they visit countless moons and planets of every size and colour, searching for the answer to the greatest question of all:"Are we alone?"And, just as they’re about to give up … Khan leads them to an incredible discovery - the existence of a (friendly!) alien race. Getting to know this welcoming species calls into question everything these space exp

What is it like to live in space?Is there life on other planets?What exactly is a black hole? Join Professor Astro Cat and the gang as they travel across space to find out everything there is to know about our galaxy, the solar system and the Universe. From asteroids to alien life and rockets to rovers, there's so much to discover in the Frontiers of Space. Blast off with this revised edition featuring new content and the latest research and discoveries.

Did life on Earth arrive on a meteorite from outer space? Are there living beings on planets beyond our solar system? If they are out there, what might these aliens look like? Would they be smart, curious, scared? Would they even want to meet us?Revealing the wonders of scientific inquiry, astrophysicist and best-selling author Lisa Harvey-Smith guides Earthlings young and old through our search for alien life. On the way, she considers where our best chances are to find any galactic neighbours; ponders whether they might already be living among us; and looks at what we might learn about aliens from life at Earth's extremes.Asking all the important questions, answering some and explaining why others need further investigation, Aliens and Other Worlds explores the mystery of life beyond Earth. With illustrations by acclaimed artist Tracie Grimwood, this mysterious, awe-inspiring journey will thrill anyone with eyes fixed on distant horizons.

The search for life in the Universe, once the domain of science fiction, is now a robust research program with a well-defined roadmap, from studying the extremes of life on Earth to exploring the possible niches for life in the Solar System and discovering thousands of planets far beyond it. In addition to constituting a major scientific endeavor, astrobiology is one of the most popular topics in astronomy, and is of growing interest to a broad community of thinkers from across the academic spectrum. In this volume, distinguished philosophers, theologians, anthropologists, historians and scientists discuss the big questions about how the discovery of extraterrestrial life, whether intelligent or microbial, would impact society. Their remarkable and often surprising findings challenge our foundational concepts of what the discovery of alien life may hold for humankind. Written in easily accessible language, this thought-provoking collection engages a wide audience of readers from all ba

An intimate, behind-the-curtains tour of the sets, costumes, spacecraft, alien planets, creatures, weapons, and gadgets used to create the stunning world ofDoctor Who.From distant galaxies in the far-

Examines the possibility of life on other planets, covering such topics as the role of aliens in science fiction, alien abductions and sightings, the search for extraterrestrials, and possible explana

Once before, the sentient races in the known part of the galaxy—humans, Orions, Ophiuchi and Gorm—had united to defeat alien invaders. Decades later, the member planets of the alliance had grown compl

IAU Symposium 269 celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's discovery of the Medicean Moons, Jupiter's four largest satellites, exploring the impact his findings have had on science and the humanities. Galileo's instrumental discovery and his belief that the planets and moons in our Solar System could be habitable worlds encouraged a deeper understanding of our place in the Universe. Today, ongoing space missions to Jupiter's moons, our own Moon, Mars, Saturn and Enceladus reveal our continued fascination with the possibilities of alien life, but this time with a focus on potential host sites for primitive life forms. These critical reviews examine our present knowledge of the Jupiter system and consider how future space missions and improvements in telescopes will bolster the contemporary vision of our Solar System, of the many known extrasolar planetary systems and of life forms beyond the Solar System.

The assassin's bullet misses, the Archduke's carriage moves forward, and a catastrophic war is avoided. So too with the history of life. Re-run the tape of life, as Stephen J. Gould claimed, and the outcome must be entirely different: an alien world, without humans and maybe not even intelligence. The history of life is littered with accidents: any twist or turn may lead to a completely different world. Now this view is being challenged. Simon Conway Morris explores the evidence demonstrating life's almost eerie ability to navigate to a single solution, repeatedly. Eyes, brains, tools, even culture: all are very much on the cards. So if these are all evolutionary inevitabilities, where are our counterparts across the galaxy? The tape of life can only run on a suitable planet, and it seems that such Earth-like planets may be much rarer than hoped. Inevitable humans, yes, but in a lonely Universe.

Our Cosmic Origins, first published in 1998, traces the remarkable story of the emergence of life and intelligence right through the complex evolutionary history of the Universe. Armand Delsemme weaves together a rich tapestry of science, bringing together cosmology, astronomy, geology, biochemistry and biology in this wide-ranging book. In following the complex, chronological story, we discover how the first elements formed in the early Universe, how stars and planets were born, how the first bacteria evolved towards a plethora of plants and animals, and how the coupling of the eye and brain led to the development of self-awareness and, ultimately, intelligence. Professor Delsemme concludes with the tantalising suggestion that the existence of alien life and intelligence is likely, and examines our chances of contacting it. This provocative book provides the general reader with an accessible and wide-ranging account of how life evolved on Earth and how likely it is to exist elsewhere

In the twenty-second century, a future in which mortaline wire controls the weather on the settled planets and entire refugee camps drowse in drug-induced slumber, no one—alive or dead, human or alien