Disturbing the Solar System: Impacts, Close Encounters, and Coming Attractions

The solar system has always been a messy place in which gravity wreaks havoc. Moons form, asteroids and comets crash into planets, ice ages commence, and dinosaurs disappear. By describing the dramatic consequences of such disturbances, this authoritative and entertaining book reveals the fundamental interconnectedness of the solar system - and what it means for life on Earth. Here, Alan Rubin provides succinct and up-to-date accounts of the energetic interactions among planetary bodies, the generation of Earth's magnetic field, the effects of other solar-system objects on our climate, the heating of asteroids, and the origin of the mysterious tektites. Along the way, Rubin introduces us to the individual scientists - including the famous, the obscure, and the newest generation of researchers - who have enhanced our understanding of the galactic neighborhood.

Table of Contents:
Preface xi PART 1: Overview of the Solar System I. A Brief History of the Solar System 3 II. Where Are We? The Location of the Solar System 17 III. Heat Sources 33 PART 2: Earth and Moon IV. The Magnetic Earth 47 V. Ice Ages 63 VI. Origin of the Moon 84 PART 3: Small Bodies, Impacts, and Rings VII. Asteroids and Meteorites 99 VIII. What Heated the Asteroids? 118 IX. Mesosiderites: Biography of a Shocked and Melted Asteroid 129 X. Meteor Crater 143 XI. The Lunar Crater Controversy--a Brief Retelling 158 XII. Dinosaurs and the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction 167 XIII. Recent Impacts: Tunguska to Shoemaker-Levy 9 183 XIV. Tektites: A Glass Menagerie 200 XV. Rings and Shepherds 215 PART 4: Life beyond Earth XVI. The Search for Life on Mars 235 XVII. Panspermia 259 XVIII. Paucity of Aliens 281 XIX. Human Response to First Contact 299 Epilogue 321 Glossary 325 Additional Reading 343 Index 353

About the Author :
Alan E. Rubin is a research geochemist in the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of more than 120 scientific papers. In honor of his research contributions, asteroid 6227 was named Alanrubin in 2002.

Review :
"Splendid... Most writers make the pursuit of science seem purely mechanistic, devoid of characters or human foibles. Rubin is a welcome contrast."--Duncan Steel, New Scientist "The book is scientifically accurate, and the writing is quietly competent... Nearly half of [Rubin's] chapters represent his research interests in meteorites, asteroids and impact cratering, which are important but not yet over-told tales... The book ends with the now de rigueur chapters on astrobiology, including a fascinating look at how humans might react if aliens were detected."--Charles A. Wood, Nature "From a concise but complete description of the origin of the solar system to current thinking about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and much in between, this is an excellent read about our local astronomical neighborhood."--Choice "This is a terrific book... What really sets [Rubin's] book apart is the perspective of an active researcher. Rubin well understands that science is not an answer, but a journey... This book not only provides a lesson on the inner workings of science, but also a broad overview of the importance of meteoritics and planetary science."--Timothy J. McCoy, Eos