Jeffrey Bennett is an astrophysicist and educator whose publications include the bestselling textbook The Cosmic Perspective as well as an award-winning series of children’s books. Seth Shostak is a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and the author of Confessions of an Alien Hunter. Nicholas Schneider is a professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and coauthor of The Cosmic Perspective and other bestselling textbooks. Meredith MacGregor is an assistant professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

• PrefaceAbout the AuthorsHow to Succeed in Your Astrobiology CoursePART I Introducing Life in the Universe1 A Universe of Life?1.1 The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth1.2 The Scientific Context of the Search1.3 Places to Search1.4 The Science of AstrobiologyExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS Cinema Aliens2 The Science of Life in the Universe2.1 The Ancient Debate About Life Beyond Earth2.2 The Copernican Revolution2.3 The Nature of Modern Science2.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION The Fact and Theory of GravityExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 2.1 Kepler’s Third LawSPECIAL TOPIC 2.1: Geocentrism and the ChurchMOVIE MADNESS Gravity3 The Universal Context of Life3.1 The Universe and Life3.2 The Structure, Scale, and History of the Universe3.3 A Universe of Matter and Energy3.4 Our Solar System3.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Ongoing Development of the Nebular TheoryExercises and ProblemsKEY ASTRONOMICAL DEFINITIONSDO THE MATH 3.1 How Far Is a Light-Year?SPECIAL TOPIC 3.1 How Do We Know That the Universe Is Expanding?MOVIE MADNESS InterstellarPART II Life on Earth4 The Habitability of Earth4.1 Geology and Life4.2 Reconstructing the History of Earth and Life4.3 The Hadean Earth and the Dawn of Life4.4 Geology and Habitability4.5 Climate Regulation and Change4.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Formation of the MoonExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 4.1 Radiometric DatingKEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONSMOVIE MADNESS Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs5 The Nature of Life on Earth5.1 Defining Life5.2 Cells: The Basic Units of Life5.3 Metabolism: The Chemistry of Life5.4 DNA and Heredity5.5 Life at the Extreme5.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Evolution as ScienceExercises and ProblemsKEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONSSPECIAL TOPIC 5.1 Charles Darwin and the Theory of EvolutionDO THE MATH 5.1 The Dominant Form of Life on EarthMOVIE MADNESS War of the Worlds6 The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth6.1 Searching for Life’s Origins6.2 The Origin of Life6.3 The Evolution of Life6.4 Impacts and Extinctions6.5 Human Evolution6.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Artificial LifeExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 6.1 Bacteria in a Bottle I: Lessons for Early LifeMOVIE MADNESS ArmageddonDO THE MATH 6.2 Bacteria in a Bottle II: Lessons for the Human RacePART III Life in the Solar System7 Searching for Life in Our Solar System7.1 Environmental Requirements for Life7.2 A Biological Tour of the Inner Solar System7.3 A Biological Tour of the Outer Solar System7.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Spacecraft Exploration of the Solar SystemExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS 2001: A Space OdysseyDO THE MATH 7.1 Newton’s Version of Kepler’s Third Law8 Mars8.1 Fantasies of Martian Civilization8.2 A Modern Portrait of Mars8.3 The Climate History of Mars8.4 Searching for Life on Mars8.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Martian MeteoritesExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 8.1 The Surface Area–to–Volume RatioMOVIE MADNESS The Martian9 Life on Jovian Moons9.1 The Moons of the Outer Solar System9.2 Life on Jupiter’s Galilean Moons9.3 Life Elsewhere in the Solar System9.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Chemical Energy for LifeExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 9.1 The Strength of the Tidal ForceMOVIE MADNESS 2010: The Year We Make Contact10 The Nature and Evolution of Habitability10.1 The Concept of a Habitable Zone10.2 Venus: An Example in Potential Habitability10.3 Surface Habitability Factors and the Habitable Zone10.4 The Future of Life on Earth10.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Global Warming: Science, Consequences, and SolutionsExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 10.1 Chances of Being in the ZoneSPECIAL TOPIC 10.1 How Long Is 5 Billion Years?MOVIE MADNESS Wall-EPART IV Life Among the Stars11 Exoplanets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability11.1 Distant Suns11.2 Discovering Exoplanets11.3 The Number and Nature of Exoplanets11.4 The Habitability of Exoplanets11.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Classifying StarsExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 11.1 Finding Orbital Distances for ExoplanetsDO THE MATH 11.2 Finding Masses of ExoplanetsDO THE MATH 11.3 Finding Sizes of ExoplanetsSPECIAL TOPIC 11.1 The Names of ExoplanetsMOVIE MADNESS Star Wars12 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence12.1 The Drake Equation12.2 The Question of Intelligence12.3 Searching for Intelligence12.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION UFOs and Aliens on EarthExercises and ProblemsSPECIAL TOPIC 12.1 Frank Drake and His EquationDO THE MATH 12.1 The Distance Between Signaling SocietiesMOVIE MADNESS Contact13 Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox13.1 The Challenge of Interstellar Travel13.2 Spacecraft for Interstellar Travel13.3 The Fermi Paradox13.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Einstein’s Special Theory of RelativityExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 13.1 The Rocket EquationDO THE MATH 13.2 Time DilationMOVIE MADNESS Star TrekEpilogue: Contact—Implications for the Search and DiscoveryExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS E.T.Answers to Quick Quiz QuestionsAppendixesA Useful NumbersB Useful FormulasC A Few Mathematical SkillsD The Periodic Table of the ElementsE The Solar SystemF List of Learning ObjectivesGlossaryCreditsIndex

Jeffrey Bennett is an astrophysicist and educator whose publications include the bestselling textbook The Cosmic Perspective as well as an award-winning series of children’s books. Seth Shostak is a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and the author of Confessions of an Alien Hunter. Nicholas Schneider is a professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and coauthor of The Cosmic Perspective and other bestselling textbooks. Meredith MacGregor is an assistant professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

• PrefaceAbout the AuthorsHow to Succeed in Your Astrobiology CoursePART I Introducing Life in the Universe1 A Universe of Life?1.1 The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth1.2 The Scientific Context of the Search1.3 Places to Search1.4 The Science of AstrobiologyExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS Cinema Aliens2 The Science of Life in the Universe2.1 The Ancient Debate About Life Beyond Earth2.2 The Copernican Revolution2.3 The Nature of Modern Science2.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION The Fact and Theory of GravityExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 2.1 Kepler’s Third LawSPECIAL TOPIC 2.1: Geocentrism and the ChurchMOVIE MADNESS Gravity3 The Universal Context of Life3.1 The Universe and Life3.2 The Structure, Scale, and History of the Universe3.3 A Universe of Matter and Energy3.4 Our Solar System3.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Ongoing Development of the Nebular TheoryExercises and ProblemsKEY ASTRONOMICAL DEFINITIONSDO THE MATH 3.1 How Far Is a Light-Year?SPECIAL TOPIC 3.1 How Do We Know That the Universe Is Expanding?MOVIE MADNESS InterstellarPART II Life on Earth4 The Habitability of Earth4.1 Geology and Life4.2 Reconstructing the History of Earth and Life4.3 The Hadean Earth and the Dawn of Life4.4 Geology and Habitability4.5 Climate Regulation and Change4.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Formation of the MoonExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 4.1 Radiometric DatingKEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONSMOVIE MADNESS Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs5 The Nature of Life on Earth5.1 Defining Life5.2 Cells: The Basic Units of Life5.3 Metabolism: The Chemistry of Life5.4 DNA and Heredity5.5 Life at the Extreme5.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Evolution as ScienceExercises and ProblemsKEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONSSPECIAL TOPIC 5.1 Charles Darwin and the Theory of EvolutionDO THE MATH 5.1 The Dominant Form of Life on EarthMOVIE MADNESS War of the Worlds6 The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth6.1 Searching for Life’s Origins6.2 The Origin of Life6.3 The Evolution of Life6.4 Impacts and Extinctions6.5 Human Evolution6.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Artificial LifeExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 6.1 Bacteria in a Bottle I: Lessons for Early LifeMOVIE MADNESS ArmageddonDO THE MATH 6.2 Bacteria in a Bottle II: Lessons for the Human RacePART III Life in the Solar System7 Searching for Life in Our Solar System7.1 Environmental Requirements for Life7.2 A Biological Tour of the Inner Solar System7.3 A Biological Tour of the Outer Solar System7.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Spacecraft Exploration of the Solar SystemExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS 2001: A Space OdysseyDO THE MATH 7.1 Newton’s Version of Kepler’s Third Law8 Mars8.1 Fantasies of Martian Civilization8.2 A Modern Portrait of Mars8.3 The Climate History of Mars8.4 Searching for Life on Mars8.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Martian MeteoritesExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 8.1 The Surface Area–to–Volume RatioMOVIE MADNESS The Martian9 Life on Jovian Moons9.1 The Moons of the Outer Solar System9.2 Life on Jupiter’s Galilean Moons9.3 Life Elsewhere in the Solar System9.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Chemical Energy for LifeExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 9.1 The Strength of the Tidal ForceMOVIE MADNESS 2010: The Year We Make Contact10 The Nature and Evolution of Habitability10.1 The Concept of a Habitable Zone10.2 Venus: An Example in Potential Habitability10.3 Surface Habitability Factors and the Habitable Zone10.4 The Future of Life on Earth10.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Global Warming: Science, Consequences, and SolutionsExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 10.1 Chances of Being in the ZoneSPECIAL TOPIC 10.1 How Long Is 5 Billion Years?MOVIE MADNESS Wall-EPART IV Life Among the Stars11 Exoplanets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability11.1 Distant Suns11.2 Discovering Exoplanets11.3 The Number and Nature of Exoplanets11.4 The Habitability of Exoplanets11.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Classifying StarsExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 11.1 Finding Orbital Distances for ExoplanetsDO THE MATH 11.2 Finding Masses of ExoplanetsDO THE MATH 11.3 Finding Sizes of ExoplanetsSPECIAL TOPIC 11.1 The Names of ExoplanetsMOVIE MADNESS Star Wars12 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence12.1 The Drake Equation12.2 The Question of Intelligence12.3 Searching for Intelligence12.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION UFOs and Aliens on EarthExercises and ProblemsSPECIAL TOPIC 12.1 Frank Drake and His EquationDO THE MATH 12.1 The Distance Between Signaling SocietiesMOVIE MADNESS Contact13 Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox13.1 The Challenge of Interstellar Travel13.2 Spacecraft for Interstellar Travel13.3 The Fermi Paradox13.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Einstein’s Special Theory of RelativityExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 13.1 The Rocket EquationDO THE MATH 13.2 Time DilationMOVIE MADNESS Star TrekEpilogue: Contact—Implications for the Search and DiscoveryExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS E.T.Answers to Quick Quiz QuestionsAppendixesA Useful NumbersB Useful FormulasC A Few Mathematical SkillsD The Periodic Table of the ElementsE The Solar SystemF List of Learning ObjectivesGlossaryCreditsIndex

Jeffrey Bennett is an astrophysicist and educator whose publications include the bestselling textbook The Cosmic Perspective as well as an award-winning series of children’s books. Seth Shostak is a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and the author of Confessions of an Alien Hunter. Nicholas Schneider is a professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and coauthor of The Cosmic Perspective and other bestselling textbooks. Meredith MacGregor is an assistant professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

• PrefaceAbout the AuthorsHow to Succeed in Your Astrobiology CoursePART I Introducing Life in the Universe1 A Universe of Life?1.1 The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth1.2 The Scientific Context of the Search1.3 Places to Search1.4 The Science of AstrobiologyExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS Cinema Aliens2 The Science of Life in the Universe2.1 The Ancient Debate About Life Beyond Earth2.2 The Copernican Revolution2.3 The Nature of Modern Science2.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION The Fact and Theory of GravityExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 2.1 Kepler’s Third LawSPECIAL TOPIC 2.1: Geocentrism and the ChurchMOVIE MADNESS Gravity3 The Universal Context of Life3.1 The Universe and Life3.2 The Structure, Scale, and History of the Universe3.3 A Universe of Matter and Energy3.4 Our Solar System3.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Ongoing Development of the Nebular TheoryExercises and ProblemsKEY ASTRONOMICAL DEFINITIONSDO THE MATH 3.1 How Far Is a Light-Year?SPECIAL TOPIC 3.1 How Do We Know That the Universe Is Expanding?MOVIE MADNESS InterstellarPART II Life on Earth4 The Habitability of Earth4.1 Geology and Life4.2 Reconstructing the History of Earth and Life4.3 The Hadean Earth and the Dawn of Life4.4 Geology and Habitability4.5 Climate Regulation and Change4.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Formation of the MoonExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 4.1 Radiometric DatingKEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONSMOVIE MADNESS Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs5 The Nature of Life on Earth5.1 Defining Life5.2 Cells: The Basic Units of Life5.3 Metabolism: The Chemistry of Life5.4 DNA and Heredity5.5 Life at the Extreme5.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Evolution as ScienceExercises and ProblemsKEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONSSPECIAL TOPIC 5.1 Charles Darwin and the Theory of EvolutionDO THE MATH 5.1 The Dominant Form of Life on EarthMOVIE MADNESS War of the Worlds6 The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth6.1 Searching for Life’s Origins6.2 The Origin of Life6.3 The Evolution of Life6.4 Impacts and Extinctions6.5 Human Evolution6.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Artificial LifeExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 6.1 Bacteria in a Bottle I: Lessons for Early LifeMOVIE MADNESS ArmageddonDO THE MATH 6.2 Bacteria in a Bottle II: Lessons for the Human RacePART III Life in the Solar System7 Searching for Life in Our Solar System7.1 Environmental Requirements for Life7.2 A Biological Tour of the Inner Solar System7.3 A Biological Tour of the Outer Solar System7.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Spacecraft Exploration of the Solar SystemExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS 2001: A Space OdysseyDO THE MATH 7.1 Newton’s Version of Kepler’s Third Law8 Mars8.1 Fantasies of Martian Civilization8.2 A Modern Portrait of Mars8.3 The Climate History of Mars8.4 Searching for Life on Mars8.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Martian MeteoritesExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 8.1 The Surface Area–to–Volume RatioMOVIE MADNESS The Martian9 Life on Jovian Moons9.1 The Moons of the Outer Solar System9.2 Life on Jupiter’s Galilean Moons9.3 Life Elsewhere in the Solar System9.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Chemical Energy for LifeExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 9.1 The Strength of the Tidal ForceMOVIE MADNESS 2010: The Year We Make Contact10 The Nature and Evolution of Habitability10.1 The Concept of a Habitable Zone10.2 Venus: An Example in Potential Habitability10.3 Surface Habitability Factors and the Habitable Zone10.4 The Future of Life on Earth10.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Global Warming: Science, Consequences, and SolutionsExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 10.1 Chances of Being in the ZoneSPECIAL TOPIC 10.1 How Long Is 5 Billion Years?MOVIE MADNESS Wall-EPART IV Life Among the Stars11 Exoplanets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability11.1 Distant Suns11.2 Discovering Exoplanets11.3 The Number and Nature of Exoplanets11.4 The Habitability of Exoplanets11.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Classifying StarsExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 11.1 Finding Orbital Distances for ExoplanetsDO THE MATH 11.2 Finding Masses of ExoplanetsDO THE MATH 11.3 Finding Sizes of ExoplanetsSPECIAL TOPIC 11.1 The Names of ExoplanetsMOVIE MADNESS Star Wars12 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence12.1 The Drake Equation12.2 The Question of Intelligence12.3 Searching for Intelligence12.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION UFOs and Aliens on EarthExercises and ProblemsSPECIAL TOPIC 12.1 Frank Drake and His EquationDO THE MATH 12.1 The Distance Between Signaling SocietiesMOVIE MADNESS Contact13 Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox13.1 The Challenge of Interstellar Travel13.2 Spacecraft for Interstellar Travel13.3 The Fermi Paradox13.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Einstein’s Special Theory of RelativityExercises and ProblemsDO THE MATH 13.1 The Rocket EquationDO THE MATH 13.2 Time DilationMOVIE MADNESS Star TrekEpilogue: Contact—Implications for the Search and DiscoveryExercises and ProblemsMOVIE MADNESS E.T.Answers to Quick Quiz QuestionsAppendixesA Useful NumbersB Useful FormulasC A Few Mathematical SkillsD The Periodic Table of the ElementsE The Solar SystemF List of Learning ObjectivesGlossaryCreditsIndex