Asteroid Hunters

By: Carrie Nugent

Narrated by: Carrie Nugent

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

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 burst 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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2017 Carrie Nugent (P)2017 Simon & Schuster Audio / TED

Interesting account about asteroid hunting

Presents the importance and challenge of finding and discovering the orbital pattern of the asteroids in near earth orbit. This book tells the history and modern challenge of this work as well as the need to continue it.

fascinating, informative, entertaining!

Where does Asteroid Hunters rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Asteroid Hunters ranks VERY HIGHLY among the hundreds of books in my Audible library.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's nonfiction, and not exactly character driven. However the Author quotes some Italian and German scientists from the early 1800's. Dr. Nugent manages to highlight their colorful personalities and they are voiced with some humorous accents. The culmination of the book involves an interview with Dr. Lindley who is the "Director of Planetary Defense." There is a joke about his very cool job title being originally held by Sean Connery as a character in the 1970's movie "Meteor." The joke is furthered by a voice actor who uses a Connery inspired Scottish accent. Hilarious!

What about Carrie Nugent’s performance did you like?

Dr. Nugent's voice, as a writer and reader, is dripping with sincerity. The language and delivery are clear, thoughtful, and generous to the reader and audience. She takes a highly technical subject and makes it accessible to a broad audience without ever talking down to her audience. This book can be enjoyed at any age and form any educational background. Really, the only group of people who might not learn something interesting are probably asteroid scientists themselves, but I imagine they will still enjoy the book as it will give them an opportunity to read about their friends and colleagues:)

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

WE MUST FIND THE ASTEROIDS BEFORE THEY FIND EARTH!

Any additional comments?

This book is shorter than I typically prefer, but rarely have I had such a pleasant experience as a listener. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about the world and its place in our solar system.

Heads up!

A short yet informative look in the sky at quick little objects. Check out her podcast also!

Wonderful!

I enjoyed everything about this book-- the stories, the knowledge, the insights, and the voice of the author.