Target Earth

Sixty-six million years ago, the impact of an asteroid helped bring about the extinction of the dinosaurs. Target Earth asks whether another giant cosmic projectile could be heading our way. In it, Dutch astronomy writer Govert Schilling gives a full account of what we know, and still need to know, about the extraterrestrial material that constantly bombards the planet. That material ranges from microscopic dust and space debris to large meteorites, comets and asteroids.

Drawing on recent scientific discoveries, Schilling covers nearly every aspect of cosmic impacts. He moves from small meteorites to devastating collisions, from the craters scarring Earth's surface to the impact marks on other celestial bodies. He also looks at the search for near-Earth rocks and at ways humanity might defend itself against an attack from space.

He revisits near misses of the past and considers the chance of others in the future. He also makes the case for the positive side of these visits from space: had Earth not been pelted by cosmic rubble from the moment it formed, life here would probably never have begun.