Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space

This book delves into the quest to find life on water-rich moons beyond Earth. We often consider Mars as the most promising site, but recent missions suggest that some of the most habitable real estate may lie farther. Beneath the frozen crusts of Jupiter and Saturn’s small, ice-covered moons, vast oceans may exist, potentially containing more liquid water than Earth. Could life exist in their depths?

Author Kevin Peter Hand, a leading NASA scientist, explains how we know oceans exist on these moons, like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. He also shows how exploring Earth’s oceans informs our understanding of their potential habitability and draws lessons from the origins of life on Earth to consider how life could arise on distant worlds. Alien Oceans sets the stage for transformative discoveries in our search for life in our solar system and beyond.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)