Destiny or Chance Revisited - 9781107016750

"This exciting tour of our universe explores what we now know about exoplanets and explains the difficulty of finding another Earth-like planet. Building on the remarkable story of our own solar system from his bestselling book Destiny or Chance, Stuart Ross Taylor now takes the reader further, comparing our solar system with the wider universe. How are planets made, and why are they are different from stars? Why are exoplanets all different from one another and from our familiar eight planets? What can Earth's nearest neighbours tell us about planetary processes in the whole universe? Why does Earth harbour life? Beginning with the basic concepts of planet formation and the composition of the universe, the book then summarizses our knowledge of exoplanets, how they compare with our planets, and why some stars have better habitable zones. Further sections provide a detailed study of our solar system, as a basis for understanding exoplanetary systems, and a detailed study of the Earth as our only current example of a habitable planet. The book concludes with a philosophical and historical discussion of topics surrounding planets and the development of life, including why our chances of finding aliens on exoplanets is very low. This is an engaging and informative read for anyone interested in planetary formation and the exploration of our universe"--