When the Earth Had Two Moons. Cannibal Planets, Icy Giants, Mud Comets, and Other Celestial Bodies of the Night Sky

In 1959, the Soviet station "Luna-3" took the first photographs of the far side of the Moon. Even in poor resolution, the images astonished scientists: the far side looked like a vast expanse of mountain ranges, rather than the extensive lava plains covering the Earth-visible side. Subsequent missions confirmed this discovery with high-quality pictures. Why does the Moon look this way, and can this tell us something about our place in the Universe? It turns out, it can — and quite a lot. In the book "When the Earth Had Two Moons," renowned planetologist Eric Asphog takes us on an exciting journey to the most distant times of our Galaxy to uncover why the Moon is so different. Well-written and with provocative arguments, this book is not only a dizzying astronomical tour but also a profound investigation into the origins of life billions of kilometers from our home.