Project Hail Mary

Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Ballantine Books 2021

The distance unit of the following coordinate system is 1 light year (Ly). 
The sun is at the origin of the coordinate system.  The star \(\alpha\)-Centauri is (roughly) at \((4, 4, 0)\), \(o^2\)-Eridani (also known as 40-Eridani) is at \((8, -13, -10)\) and \(\tau\)-Ceti is at \((0, -2, -12)\).  The distance between the sun and \(\tau\)-Ceti is approximately 12 Lys, the distance between the sun and the \(o^2\)-Eridani is approximately 17 Lys, and the distance between the the \(o^2\)-Eridani and the \(\tau\)-Ceti is approximately 10 Lys.

\(\tau\)-Ceti has 5 planets and  \(o^2\)-Eridani has one planet.

References: 

(1) The coordinates of the stars are guessed by looking at the the Star Map given in the following site.

http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/50lys.html

(2) Somebody asked this question at Stack Exchange Astronomy site on January 8, 2018.

https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/24426/distance-between-stars-epsilon-eridani-and-tau-ceti 

The sun is losing its luminosity at an alarming rate.  At this rate the Earth will reach another ice age in the very near future (in a few years) and it is estimated that the population of the world will decrease by nearly \(90\%\) due to severe climate conditions.  It has been observed that all nearby stars are also losing luminosity at a similar rate except the star \(\tau\)-Ceti.  It has been also observed that the reason why the sun is losing energy rapidly is an arrival of a previously unknown energy absorbing life form.  These life forms travel between the Sun and Venus.  A probe sent to intercept this life form collects a sample and brings it back to Earth for examination.  Scientists soon discovered that the new life form goes to Venus to breed by simulating the conditions of the Venus atmosphere in the lab.  If we cannot stop the growth of this life form, then the Earth is doomed.   Why is \(\tau\)-Ceti not affected?  Can we find out how \(\tau\)-Ceti is surviving, and then use that knowledge to stop or manage the growth of this life form?

Andy Weir’s third novel is probably the best novel he has written so far.  It is a fascinating story.

P. s. You can read about Venus life finder mission study in this report.