April 15, 2005 (Vol. 25, No. 8)
URL:
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/ETEmain.html
Rating:
Strong Points: Fun, informative reading
Weak Points: Biology hard to find
Summary:
The remarkable success of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on the surface of Mars combined with some rather interesting observations about methane obtained by spacecraft circling the planet have helped invigorate the still-infant science of astrobiology. This Encyclopedia site is a one-stop shop for not only astrobiology, but also all things astronomical. The simple interface on the opening page allows users to scan easily through alphabetical listings of the topics covered or readily access them via a search engine. Granted, the biology here is largely theoretical and almost overwhelmed by the amount of astronomy and spaceflight info, but the reading is very informative and fun, particularly if you’re a space junkie.