Sign-In
Cart
Extraterrestrial
Paperback
ISBN13: 9780358645535
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: Jun 4 2026
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.40
Height: 0.71 Width: 5.28 Depth: 7.87
Language: English
New York Times Bestseller Wall Street Journal Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller Publishers Marketplace 2020 Buzz Book Amazon Best Book of the Year Longlisted for the 2022 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
Harvard's top astronomer lays out his controversial theory that our solar system was recently visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star.
Provocative and thrilling ... Loeb asks us to think big and to expect the unexpected.--Alan Lightman, New York Times bestselling author of Einstein's Dreams and Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine
In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed an object soaring through our inner solar system, moving so quickly that it could only have come from another star. Avi Loeb, Harvard's top astronomer, showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and left no trail of gas or debris in its wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization.
In Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his controversial theory and its profound implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our species and our planet. A mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science, space-time, and the human imagination, Extraterrestrial challenges readers to aim for the stars--and to think critically about what's out there, no matter how strange it seems.
What does the evidence reveal, and why does the scientific establishment resist it?
- 'Oumuamua: A deep dive into the 2017 discovery of an object that moved too fast, followed a strange orbit, and left no cometary trail--defying all-natural explanations.
- Are We Alone?: Why Harvard's top astronomer concluded that the object was not an asteroid or comet, but a piece of advanced technology from a distant civilization.
- Scientific Conservatism: An unflinching look at why the scientific community is often reluctant to consider extraordinary possibilities, and why it's critical to follow the evidence, no matter how strange.
- The Future of SETI: A mind-bending exploration of what this discovery means for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, religion, and the future of our species on this planet.
2 different editions
Also available
Extraterrestre: La Humanidad Ante El Primer Signo de Vida Inteligente Más Allá de la Tierra
Loeb, Avi
Paperback
Also in
Astronomy & Space
Machine Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Spiritual Freedom and the Re-Animation of Matter
Lafitte, Luke
Paperback
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun [With CDROM]
Goodstein, David L.
Paperback
The Self-Actualizing Cosmos: The Akasha Revolution in Science and Human Consciousness
Laszlo, Ervin
Paperback
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Hardcover
Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Astronomy 101, 2nd Edition: From Gravitational Waves and Merging Black Holes to New Exoplanets and Asteroid Samples, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Fa
Petersen, Carolyn Collins
Hardcover
Open Space: From Earth to Eternity--The Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos
Ariosto, David
Hardcover
Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume I: Assessing Planetary Condition
George, Demetra
Paperback
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Zach
Weinersmith, Kelly
Paperback
A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness: A Cosmic Book on the Mechanics of Creation
Bentov, Itzhak
Paperback
Classical Mythology of the Constellations: Timeless Tales of the Starry Night Sky
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-Of-The-Century America
Baron, David
Hardcover
Ojibwe Sky Star Map - Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to Ojibwe Star Knowledge
Gawboy, Carl
Lee, Annette Sharon
Wilson, William Peter
Paperback
Chasing the Northern Lights: Everything You Need to Know to See Nature's Greatest Light Show
Dk Travel
Hardcover
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew
Ward, Jonathan H.
Leinbach, Michael D.
Paperback
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Boyle, Rebecca
Paperback
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System
deGroot, Dagomar
Hardcover
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
Night Sky Guide 2026: North America's Skies Month by Month from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mortillaro, Nicole
Paperback
Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission
Collins, Eileen M., USAF (Retired)
Ward, Jonathan H.
Hardcover
The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel
Bagby, Meredith
Paperback
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Life After Life: The Bestselling Original Investigation That Revealed Near-Death Experiences
Moody, Raymond
Paperback
Earthrise: Inside Artemis II, the Groundbreaking Human Mission Into Deep Space
Hansen, Jeremy
Larsen, John
Hardcover
Dakota/Lakota Star Map Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to D(L)akota Star Knowledge
O'Rourke, Charlene
Lee, Annette Sharon
Rock, Jim
Paperback
The Six: The Extraordinary Story of the Grit and Daring of America's First Women Astronauts
Grush, Loren
Paperback
The Ultraview Effect: What We Can Learn from Astronauts about Awe, Humility, and Exploring the Unknown
Weibel, Deana L.
Hardcover
Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future
Launius, Roger D.
Hardcover
The Grand Cosmic Story: An Illustrated Timeline 13.8 Billion Years and Beyond
Garlick, Mark A.
Lomberg, Jon
Siegel, Ethan
Hardcover
Do Your Ears Pop in Space? and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Mullane, R. Mike
Paperback
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Greene, Brian
Paperback
A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour
Strauss, Michael A.
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
The Shortest History of Our Universe: The Unlikely Journey from the Big Bang to Us
Baker, David
Paperback
National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas: The Ultimate Guide to the Night Sky
National Geographic
Wei-Haas, Maya
Trefil, James
Hardcover
The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Strauss, Michael A.
Gott, J. Richard
Hardcover
A Jesuit's Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science
Consolmagno, Guy J., Sj
Paperback
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World
Rovelli, Carlo
Paperback
Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me about Our Home Planet--And Our Mission to Protect It
Stott, Nicole
Hardcover
Webb's Universe: The Space Telescope Images That Reveal Our Cosmic History
Aderin-Pocock, Maggie
Hardcover
The Natural Navigator, Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Unseen Universe: Space as You've Never Seen It Before from the James Webb Space Telescope
Harper, Caroline
Hardcover
The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life
Willis, Jon
Hardcover
The Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science
Schneider, Michael S.
Paperback
Cosmic Queries: Startalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
Painting the Cosmos: How Art and Science Intersect to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe
Imara, Nia
Paperback
Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmissions Through Myth
de Santillana, Giorgio
Von Dechend, Hertha
Paperback
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos
Rasmussen, Seven
Hardcover
The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfol
Swimme, Brian
Paperback
Reentry: Spacex, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
Berger, Eric
Hardcover
Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
Kurson, Robert
Paperback
Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos
Novitsky, Travis
Lee, Annette S.
Paperback
The Random Universe: How Models and Probability Help Us Make Sense of the Cosmos
Jaffe, Andrew H.
Hardcover
Constellations: The Story of Space Told Through the 88 Known Star Patterns in the Night Sky
Schilling, Govert
Hardcover
Photographic Atlas of the Moon: A Comprehensive Guide for the Amateur Astronomer
Reeves, Robert
Hardcover
Pillars of Creation: How the James Webb Telescope Unlocked the Secrets of the Cosmos
Panek, Richard
Hardcover
The Backyard Stargazer's Bible: Discover Constellations, Galaxies, Nebulae, Meteorites, and More
Ridpath, Ian
McIntyre, Mary
Federman, Rachel
Hardcover
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Paperback
The Complete Book of Spacecraft: Rockets, Shuttles, Satellites, and Space Stations
Sivolella, Davide
Gorn, Michael H.
Hardcover
The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality
Panek, Richard
Paperback
The Extraterrestrial Species Almanac: The Ultimate Guide to Greys, Reptilians, Hybrids, and Nordics
Campobasso, Craig
Paperback
Star Bound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between
Carney, Emily
McCandless, Bruce, III
Hardcover
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Kelly
Weinersmith, Zach
Hardcover
A Cloud a Day: (Cloud Appreciation Society Book, Uplifting Positive Gift, Cloud Art Book, Daydreamers Book)
Pretor-Pinney, Gavin
Hardcover
The Stage of Time: Secrets of the Past, The Nature of Reality, and the Ancient Gods of History
LaCroix, Matthew R.
Paperback
Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe
Greene, Brian
Paperback