Astrobiology. The Quest for the Conditions of Life
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Author(s): G. Horneck and C. Baumstark-Khan (Eds)
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3540421017
Format: hardback
411pp
Price: £37.00
Review Date: 05 February 2002
Review: This book brings together specialists from different fields, from astrophysics to molecular biology and from planetology to ecology. They address such basic questions as What is life? Where have we come from? and Are we alone in the Universe? The first section looks at organic material in space and in habitable zones and explores the Universe for signs of life beyond the Earth. The next three sections look at the physical and chemical conditions that are necessary for life. By studying the environmental requirements of life on Earth, we can assess the habitability of other bodies within our solar system, especially Mars and Europa. The last sections present examples of complexity of life in general and detail forthcoming exploratory astronomical and planetary space missions.