Meteorite by Dr Tim Gregory released in the US

Meteorite: How Stones from Outer Space Made Our World, the debut title by Dr Tim Gregory, is out now in the US from Basic Books.

Meteorites have long been seen as portents of fate and messages from the gods, their fiery remains inspiring worship and giving rise to legends that have persisted for millennia. But beyond the lore, meteorites tell an even greater story: that of our solar system. In Meteorite, geologist Tim Gregory shows that beneath the charred crusts of these celestial stones lies a staggering diversity of rock types. Their unique constituents, vibrant colours, and pungent smells contain thrilling tales of interstellar clouds, condensing stardust, and the fiery collisions of entire worlds. Gregory explores the world of meteorites to uncover new insights into what our solar system was like before our sun became a star, into the forging of our planet, and into the emergence of life on it. Humans have long looked to the skies for answers to big questions. Meteorite reveals how science is finally arriving at those answers.

Dr Tim Gregory is a planetary geologist. His cosmochemistry research focuses on the geology of the early Solar System. Tim surpassed thousands of applicants for a place in the six-part BBC2 series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, where he reached the final three. He has gone on to present a segment about meteorites on BBC4’s The Sky at Night, and has made live television appearances on BBC Breakfast, BBC Look North, and BBC Points West.