All upcoming Astronomy & Space programs

Galileo Galilei is one of the larger-than-life heroes of intellectual history. Astrophysicist Mario Livio traces his fascinating life, examining Galileo’s monumental and enduring achievements in astronomy, mechanics, and the development of the scientific method. Livio also analyzes Galileo’s complex and tragic interaction with the Catholic Church, which eventually led to the scientist being denounced as a suspected heretic by the Inquisition.

Our galaxy likely contains more planets than stars, so what are the odds of finding distant Earth-like worlds that teem with life? Is it possible inhabitants of another planet are trying to contact us—and would we be able to recognize extraterrestrial life if it exists? Kelly Beatty, senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, examines how astronomers and scientists are investigating the possibilities.

A mere century ago, Martians were thought to be real, not fictional, creatures. Journalist David Baron draws on his new book, The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America, to examine this strange case of mass delusion. Although the Martians never were real, says Baron, the excitement about them was genuine and world-changing, since it sparked a new genre called science fiction and helped launch us into space—toward Mars.