Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Image Credit: Kadri Tinn
What If the Earth Had Two Moons? by Neil F. Comins
Finished reading on October 28
Rating 7/10
Having come across a reference to another Comins' book, “What If the Moon Didn't Exist?” and not having found one in my vicinity, I picked up this one instead. It took me a lot of time to actually start reading it, although the last 200 pages or so went past pretty quickly on a cloudy cold night. Finishing it at 2 am was a relief though, because although the concept of the book is great, it requires a bit more brain activity and thought than some other popular science books.
There are 10 scenarios of slightly different solar systems.
My favourite was one forming 15 billion years from now, not because it would be particularly exciting to live at that time, but because with each story the author also explains some of the underlying astronomy and physics, and an Earth-like planet forming in a different galaxy that much later required some explanations of cosmology and difficulties in interstellar travel, so that was awesome. If you'd want to know some of the reasons why it's difficult to colonize other worlds, read it!
And the slight or staggering differences in each world don't necessarily make you want to take up space-travelling to any of those imaginary places. So there's a down-to-earth approach to it.
I think this book would be a good read for anyone who hasn't already been saturated by reading too many popular science books dealing with astronomy.
Labels: book review, Neil F. Comins