  Astrobiology, the study of life as a planetary phenomenon, aims to understand
the fundamental nature of life on earth and the possibility of life elsewhere.
To achieve this goal, astrobiologists have initiated unprecedented
communication between the disciplines of astronomy, biology, chemistry, and
geology. The Astrobiology Primer has been created as a reference tool for those
who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. The field
incorporates many diverse research endeavors, but it is our hope that this slim
volume will present the reader with all he or she needs to know to become
involved and to understand, at least at a fundamental level, the state of the
art. Because of the great diversity of material, each section was written by a
different author with a different expertise. The Primer was constructed
collaboratively. Ninety researchers from around the world contributed
information with regard to what they expected from other astrobiologists and
what they would like to know themselves but still had difficulty understanding
(see Contributors). Those submissions were read and considered by the Editors
who produced a list of seven general categories of knowledge, represented by
the seven chapters in the Primer: 1) Stellar Formation and Evolution, 2)
Planetary Formation and Evolution, 3) Astrobiogeochemistry and the Origin of
Life, 4) Evolution of Life through Time, 5) Planet Detection &
Characterization, 6) Diversity of Life, and 7) Science in Space. No one volume,
of course, can contain the vast amount of information brought to play in
astrobiology, but we believe that the Primer will provide a forum and a
language around which the community will have the opportunity to develop a
consensus about central issues.
