Children of the Stars Our Origin, Evolution and Destiny

For the general reader, investigating the surprising connection between stars, our planet and life.

Are we alone in the Universe? What is our place in it? How did we get here? We have long searched for the answers to questions such as these, and scientists are beginning to find some of the answers. In this beautifully illustrated book, Daniel Altschuler provides the reader with the elements to understand the questions and their answers as far as we know them. He explores subjects from physics and astronomy, to geology and palaeontology. Along the way he touches on topics such as the search for life on other worlds and the hazards of asteroid impacts. Daniel Altschuler is director of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. He writes in an engaging and readable style with wit, warmth and erudition at a level that any interested reader can understand.

Preface; 1. Cooking the elements; 2. The fertilization of space; 3. The birth of planets; 4. Mother Earth; 5. Life; 6. Close encounters of many kinds; 7. Other worlds; 8. The dark crystal ball; 9. Epilogue; Appendix A. Some numbers; Appendix B. World scientists' warning to humanity.

Fully illustrated, this book deals with the surprising connection between stars, our planet, and life. It investigates aspects of physics, astronomy and geology in the search for answers to questions about where life came from. Written with wit and warmth at a level that any interested reader can understand.

Daniel R Altschuler, an experienced researcher, educator, and science administrator, is director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center's Arecibo Observatory and a member of the faculty of the Physics Department of the University of Puerto Rico, at Rio Piedras.