Overview
- Provides a guide for the remote detection of life on other planets
- Presents an updated perspective of our planet as seen from outer space
- Establishes the Earth-Exoplanets connection and its value for a better understanding of our own planet as well as other planets beyond the solar system
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: Astronomy and Astrophysics Library (AAL)
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Table of contents (9 chapters)
Keywords
- Earth Rosetta stone
- Earth exoplanet connection
- Earth-like planets
- Planet
- Planetary system
- Solar System
- astrobiology exoplanets book
- astrophysics
- biosignatures observed spectra
- blue dot life
- exoplanet population statistics
- galactic habitable zone
- life-supporting planets
- planetary systems observed
- solar
About this book
In The Earth as a Distant Planet, the authors become external observers of our solar system from a distance and try to determine how one can understand how Earth, the third in distance to the central star, is essentially unique and capable of sustaining life. The knowledge gained from this original perspective is then applied to the search for other planets outside the solar system, or exoplanets.
Since the discovery in 1992 of the first exoplanet, the number of planet detections has increased exponentially and ambitious missions are already being planned for the future. The exploration of Earth and the rest of the rocky planets are Rosetta stones in classifying and understanding the multiplicity of planetary systems that exist in our galaxy. In time, statistics on the formation and evolution of exoplanets will be available and will provide vital information for solving some of the unanswered questions about the formation, as well as evolution of our own world and solar system. Special attention is paid to the biosignatures (signs of life) detectable in the Earth's reflected spectra and the search for life in the universe.
The authors are experts on the subject of extrasolar planets. They provide an introductory but also very much up-to-date text, making this book suitable for researchers and for advanced students in astronomy and astrophysics.
Reviews
From the reviews:
“This very up-to-date book stresses the importance that future studies of the Earth will bring to our quest to discover life around extrasolar planets. … The book is also an excellent reference source for researchers interested in detailed summary descriptions of the Earth and its role in the search for extraterrestrial life and other planets. Includes striking color pictures, graphs, and figures; extensive end-of-chapter references; a list of acronyms and units; and a four-page index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals; general audiences.” (W. E. Howard III, Choice, Vol. 48 (3), November, 2010)Authors and Affiliations
About the authors
The authors are researchers at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. M. Vázquez is also author of Ultraviolet Radiation in the Solar System and The Sun Recorded Through History.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Earth as a Distant Planet
Book Subtitle: A Rosetta Stone for the Search of Earth-Like Worlds
Authors: M. Vázquez, E. Pallé, P. Montañés Rodríguez
Series Title: Astronomy and Astrophysics Library
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1684-6
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag New York 2010
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4419-1683-9Published: 02 April 2010
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4939-5060-7Published: 23 August 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4419-1684-6Published: 12 March 2010
Series ISSN: 0941-7834
Series E-ISSN: 2196-9698
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 422
Topics: Astrophysics and Astroparticles, Planetology, Astronomy, Observations and Techniques, Monitoring/Environmental Analysis, Astrobiology