A Meteorite Killed My Cow: Stuff That Happens When Space Rocks Hit Earth

Description

Meteorites are generally considered to be bizarre and exotic space junk that you only ever come across in museums. But the reality is very different. Meteorites are generally harmless, with the exception of a cow in Venezuela and a few dinosaurs. Well, quite a few dinosaurs in fact! They are arriving on Earth every day, everywhere, in the form of fine dust. The result is that meteorites can be collected from the rooftops of houses everywhere. It’s not easy and you need to know what to look for. This book will help. Meteorites are the oldest rocks in our Solar System and contain grains that are even older. These space rocks provide science with the best available evidence concerning the origin and early evolution of the Solar System. This book introduces the reader to the fascinating and sometimes bizarre world of space rocks using a simple, clear layman-friendly style. It explains why they are so special and describes their main characteristics. The non-technical approach used throughout the book make it particularly accessible to the general public and it will be of interest to anyone looking to learn more about these cosmic visitors and the wealth of scientific information they contain. Features: Provides a concise introduction to the world of meteorites in an accessible and non-technical way. Demonstrates how meteorites can be found locally and provides practical guidance on how to search for them! Emphasizes the human side of meteorites and how ordinary people can and do encounter meteorites in a wide variety of settings. About the Author Richard Greenwood is a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, UK. A geologist by training, he started studying meteorites quite by accident after answering an advert in a science magazine. Life has never been quite the same since. Some of his close encounters with extraterrestrial rocks are described in this book. In particular, he was the first scientist to identify the Winchcombe meteorite. But things haven’t always gone totally to plan. Failure to find a single space rock on a Moroccan expedition in the 1990s still hurts. Full disclosure is provided here. Richard’s more academic activities involve the study of meteorites with the aim of understanding the origin and early evolution of our Solar System. Spacecraft are now collecting material directly from asteroids and bringing the samples back to Earth. Richard has been at the heart of these activities, working with international teams analyzing material brought back by the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) from asteroid Ryugu and by the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission from Asteroid Bennu. He also maintains a popular outreach blog on meteorites: https://meteoritestheblog.com/.