Worlds Without End: The Exploration Of Planets Known And Unknown

by John S. Lewis

The most exciting new discovery in modern astronomy must surely be the detection of planets orbiting distant stars, but what kinds of worlds these new planets are is yet to be determined with certainty.

In this imaginatively written yet solidly scientific work, planetary scientist John S. Lewis explains how planets form, what they are made of, and how scientists know what they know about both the planets in our solar system and those orbiting distant suns. From solidly grounded knowledge to the latest theories of planetary science, "Worlds Without End" is essential reading for everyone thrilled by the latest discoveries in astronomy.

Genres: Science, Astronomy, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

John S. Lewis (born June 27, 1941) is a Professor Emeritus of planetary science at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. His interests in the chemistry and formation of the solar system and the economic development of space have made him a leading proponent of turning potentially hazardous near-Earth objects into attractive space resources.

Reviews

[Melissa McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is over ten years old, but most of the material on planetary formation and extrasolar planetary systems is still accurate. It's fun to read his listing of the extrasolar planets that had been discovered in 1997 and think of how many more have been found today. Deeply satisfying and accessible science writing.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides being a fine primer on modern planetary science, Worlds without End strikes me as an exceptional resource for science-fiction world builders and readers. I've read a couple of SF world-building books and they were pretty dry. This is the real thing -- a respected planetary scientist (Co-director of the Space Engineering Research Center at the University of Arizona) reporting on recent discoveries of extrasolar planets, and speculating on the range of possible planets that might host life.

Lewis does a nice run-through of possible planetary surface chemistries for "life as we don't know it," and (reluctantly) concludes that extraterrestrial life will most likely be carbon-based and use water as a solvent, because both have the best chemistry available, by far. Which isn't to say that we won't find some very odd critters out there...

And I don't mean to imply that general readers won't enjoy Worlds Without End -- I recommend it to anyone who's curious about how solar-systems form.

This is a better-written book than his Mining the Sky (1996), though Lewis still gets annoyingly cutesy at times. Anyway, it's always a pleasure to read a pop-sci book written by a working scientist. I'm looking forward to Lewis's next.

My 2000 review: https://www.sfsite.com/09a/wwe88.htm