Includes bibliographical references and index.

Peering into the immense blackness of space has taught us a lot throughout the centuries, but it's also left us with unanswered questions and a burning desire to learn more. Readers are taken on an amazing voyage through some of the freakiest space scenarios, such as other Earthlike planets beyond our solar system that could support life, the possibility of mining water on the moon, and the dark world of the plutoids--the distant dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. Filled with exciting facts, awe-inspiring images, and comprehensive sidebars, this book poses the ultimate freaky question: When we stare up at the stars, is something staring back at us?