Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet's Twin
In the mid-1990s, astronomers made history when they detected three planets orbiting stars in the Milky Way. The planets were nothing like Earth, however: they were giant gas balls like Jupiter or Saturn. More than 500 planets have been found since then, yet none of them could support life.
Now, armed with more powerful technology, planet hunters are racing to find a true...more
Now, armed with more powerful technology, planet hunters are racing to find a true...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
October 16th 2012
by Walker & Company
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
153)
Mirror Earth is about one of the most exciting research topics in astrophysics at the moment, planets that exist beyond our solar system (exoplanets). It was only in the 1990s that scientists were able to detect such planets, and they've been overturning our expectations about the universe ever since. Before exoplanets, scientists assumed that planets near their stars must be small and rocky, with large gaseous planets further away (such as Jupiter and Saturn). But the first exoplanets discovere...more
Mar 19, 2013
Michael Patrick
added it
So I came into this book wondering, 'Okay, even if we can infer planets similar to Earth that are 'mere' light years away, what will that ultimately mean?'. Turns out, nope, even though we might be able to 'find' them (keep in mind we're not photographing them directly), we're no better off than we were; communicating with these planets (assuming there's life capable of communicating) is a multi-year process, and travel to them is out of the question. So....
Lemonick's book MIRROR EARTH, describes and analyzes the idea if we found a planet similar to planet earth. Lemonick writes with honesty and compassion about his experieces growing up and looking out of the stars wondering what law beyond. Lemonick also incorporates a lot of factual information with a lot of personal information about what it would be like to discover a "Mirror Earth." Overall i enjoyed the book, but at times Lemonick would go off topic and present ideas that were not related to...more
Inspiring and breezy update on (some of) what has happened in planetary science since I last checked in about 15 years ago. Very exciting stuff about finding planets around stars other than our Sun. Good read for Christmas break if your a composer who is inspired by space!
(read 2/14/2013) This book traces the history of the field of planet hunters. Fascinating if you are interested in the possibility of other worlds in the Milky Way. The way it sounds, there may be more than we realize.
Lemonick is fantastic at explaining complicated processes in an easy and engaging style. It shows in this work on the history of "planet hunting". I learned a lot about the culture of astronomers as well as the qualities of 'habitable' planets.
Nov 12, 2012
Burky Ford
added it
Think this is a vanity book.
May 12, 2013
Alex Bangs
is currently reading it
Apr 25, 2013
Margotd
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2013
Doenermoelp
marked it as to-read
Apr 19, 2013
Dave
marked it as to-read
Apr 16, 2013
Michael Narish
marked it as to-read
Apr 09, 2013
Ayse Ergin
marked it as to-read
Apr 08, 2013
Nate
added it
Apr 06, 2013
Lauren
marked it as to-read
Apr 04, 2013
Alex You
marked it as in-collections
Apr 01, 2013
James
marked it as to-read
Mar 23, 2013
Veronica
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
