Ted-Asteroid Hunters

基本信息

Format Hardback | 128 pages

Dimensions 127 x 178 x 14mm | 204g

Publication date 14 Mar 2017

Publisher Simon & Schuster Ltd

Language English

Illustrations note 4 colour throughout

ISBN10 1471162397

ISBN13 9781471162398

页面参数仅供参考，具体以实物为准

书籍简介

★《卫报》、《华盛顿邮报》、《华尔街日报》──好评推荐

★超人气TED相关演讲影片总点阅数破百万次

只要有一颗小行星撞击地球，就可能影响地球存亡……

每到夜幕低垂，许多天文学家开始一天的工作，

他们不断探索天空，首要任务就是确认是否有小行星朝地球飞来，

今日，我们不只可以靠科技找出这些天体，

更能够防范这种天灾降临。

天文学家凯莉·纽金特是一名小行星猎人，她与同事们的工作，是探寻太阳系中的小行星，并绘制出地球周边的宇宙地图。在面对小行星撞击地球的威胁时，人类有科学实证和科技力量，不需要坐以待毙。当前的首要任务就是要知道是否有小行星朝我们而来，所以每晚都有许多天文学家不断探索天空。

本书将带领读者了解过去小行星撞地球的事件，如造成恐龙灭绝的原因；还有与地球相同大小的舒梅克－李维九号彗星撞击木星事件；车里雅宾斯克小行星奇袭俄罗斯如何震惊世界；以及安妮‧霍奇斯太太不幸被陨石击中的奇遇。

读者将在本书认识小行星猎人横跨全球的工作，也会了解到探寻小行星的重要性。最后更会证明，即便是这种令人难以想像的灾害，其实都能事先防范。

TED Books系列

TED Books是介绍重要观念的轻快阅读系列，由TED团队策划制作，找专精领域又善于说故事的讲者与作者，规划出涵盖多元领域的一系列TED Books。每本书的篇幅短到可以一口气读完，但是也长到足以深度解说一个主题，主题非常广，从建筑、商业、太空旅行、到爱情，包罗万象，是任何有好奇心、爱广泛学习的人的完美选择。在TED.com上，每一本书都有搭配的相关TED Talk演讲，接续演讲未尽之处。十八分钟的演讲或播下种子、或激发想像，许多演讲都开启了想要知道得更深、想学得更多的渴望，需要更完整的故事。TED Books轻快阅读系列正满足了这个需求。

For the first time, scientists could have the knowledge to prevent a natural disaster epic in scale—an asteroid hitting the earth and in this exciting, adventuresome book, Carrie Nugent explains how.

What are asteroids, and where do they come from? And, most urgently: Are they going to hit the Earth? What would happen if one was on its way? Carrie Nugent is an asteroid hunter—part of a group of scientists working to map our cosmic neighborhood. For the first time ever, we are reaching the point where we may be able to prevent the horrible natural disaster that would result from an asteroid collision.

In Asteroid Hunters, Nugent reveals what known impact asteroids have had: the extinction of the dinosaurs, the earth-sized hole Shoemaker Levy 9 left in Jupiter just a few decades ago, how the meteorite that bursted over Chelyabinsk in Russia could have started a war, and unlucky Ms. Anne Hodges—the only person (that we know of) in US history to be the victim of a direct hit. Nugent also introduces the telescope she uses to detect near-Earth asteroids. Ultimately, detection is the key to preventing asteroid impact, and these specialized scientists are working to prevent the unthinkable from happening.

If successful, asteroid hunting will lead to the first natural disaster humans have the know-how and the technology to prevent. The successful hunt and mapping of asteroids could mean nothing less than saving life on earth.

作者简介

凯莉·纽金特（Carrie Nugent）

凯莉·纽金特博士是一名小行星猎人，目前在加州理工学院的红外影像处理分析中心（Infrared Processing and Analysis Center）与一个小团队合作，专门从事探索与研究小行星的工作。纽金特博士于2013年在加州大学洛杉矶分校取得地球物理和空间物理学博士学位，并在2016成为TED Fellows计划的一员。她专注于热力学模型的建构，运用宇宙红外线望远镜近地天体广域红外线探测器所蒐集的观测资料，增进人类对于小行星表面的理解，小行星8801便是为了纪念她的贡献而命名。在纽金特博士闲暇时，她就会去制播并主持Spacepod （listentospacepod. Com）的节目，在这个每周都有的播客节目中，她会邀请天文学家、行星科学家和工程师们坐下来喝一杯，并跟大家聊聊他们所知的宇宙。

Dr. Carrie Nugent is a scientist that works on discovering and finding asteroids. She works on NASA’s NEOWISE mission, which uses a space-based infrared telescope to discover, track, and characterize asteroids. She is a 2016 TED fellow, and hosts and produces Spacepod, a podcast about space exploration. She even has an asteroid named after her: 8801 Nugent. Asteroid Hunters is her first book.