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Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar: A Guided Tour of the Solar System
A senior planetary astronomer leads this personal tour of NASA's latest Solar System discoveries.
Join Bonnie J. Buratti, a leading planetary astronomer, on this personal tour of NASA's latest discoveries. Moving through the Solar System from Mercury, Venus, Mars, past comets and asteroids and the moons of the giant planets, to Pluto, and on to exoplanets, she gives vivid descriptions of landforms that are similar to those found on Earth but that are more fantastic. Sulfur-rich volcanoes and lakes on Io, active gullies on Mars, huge ice plumes and tar-like deposits on the moons of Saturn, hydrocarbon rivers and lakes on Titan, and nitrogen glaciers on Pluto are just some of the marvels that await readers. Discover what it is like to be involved in a major scientific enterprise, with all its pitfalls and excitement, from the perspective of a female scientist. This engaging account of modern space exploration is written for non-specialist readers, from students in high school to enthusiasts of all ages.
Join Bonnie J. Buratti, a leading planetary astronomer, on this personal tour of NASA's latest discoveries. Moving through the Solar System from Mercury, Venus, Mars, past comets and asteroids and the moons of the giant planets, to Pluto, and on to exoplanets, she gives vivid descriptions of landforms that are similar to those found on Earth but that are more fantastic. Sulfur-rich volcanoes and lakes on Io, active gullies on Mars, huge ice plumes and tar-like deposits on the moons of Saturn, hydrocarbon rivers and lakes on Titan, and nitrogen glaciers on Pluto are just some of the marvels that await readers. Discover what it is like to be involved in a major scientific enterprise, with all its pitfalls and excitement, from the perspective of a female scientist. This engaging account of modern space exploration is written for non-specialist readers, from students in high school to enthusiasts of all ages.
236 pages, Hardcover
Published April 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 3, 2017
Dr. Bonnie Buratti’s book has the knowledge-enriching effect on the reader as one would get from closely studying a textbook, yet Buratti’s writing voice and style is unpretentious, narrative, conversational, and accessible. She also shares personal anecdotes from her youth as well as from her early career working with titans of space science such as Carl Sagan and Frank Drake while she was a graduate student.
It’s an original take on human exploration of the worlds (planets, moons, etc.) of our solar system, as well as planets orbiting other stars. Buratti addresses briefly the usual historical figures (Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno, Giovanni Cassini, etc.), but does so concisely and without the boilerplate cliches that too often find their ways into those narratives. But Buratti focuses more heavily on the modern robotic exploration of those worlds, sometimes providing behind-the-scenes narratives about the adventures of scientists working independently and collectively to advance human understanding of the cosmos.
I should disclose that I work at NASA-JPL, as does the author, Dr. Buratti. We’re not close, but we’ve had a few conversations, and she recommended this book to me after I asked her several questions about planetary science concepts. She said she thought I might enjoy this book.
Sure, I’m a space enthusiast, but I majored in English, not science. I frequently read non-fiction books about science, but I haven’t cracked open a science textbook in about 20 years. Frankly, because I had a sense for how immersed Buratti is in her field, I did not expect her writing to be terribly accessible. It's said that good scientists are not always good science communicators. Turns out I wasn’t giving Buratti enough credit. I found her book to be as accessible as any other mainstream non-fiction for adults. It was really easy reading (which I value greatly), but it was also conversational and personal. It was a wonderful surprise.
It’s an original take on human exploration of the worlds (planets, moons, etc.) of our solar system, as well as planets orbiting other stars. Buratti addresses briefly the usual historical figures (Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno, Giovanni Cassini, etc.), but does so concisely and without the boilerplate cliches that too often find their ways into those narratives. But Buratti focuses more heavily on the modern robotic exploration of those worlds, sometimes providing behind-the-scenes narratives about the adventures of scientists working independently and collectively to advance human understanding of the cosmos.
I should disclose that I work at NASA-JPL, as does the author, Dr. Buratti. We’re not close, but we’ve had a few conversations, and she recommended this book to me after I asked her several questions about planetary science concepts. She said she thought I might enjoy this book.
Sure, I’m a space enthusiast, but I majored in English, not science. I frequently read non-fiction books about science, but I haven’t cracked open a science textbook in about 20 years. Frankly, because I had a sense for how immersed Buratti is in her field, I did not expect her writing to be terribly accessible. It's said that good scientists are not always good science communicators. Turns out I wasn’t giving Buratti enough credit. I found her book to be as accessible as any other mainstream non-fiction for adults. It was really easy reading (which I value greatly), but it was also conversational and personal. It was a wonderful surprise.
March 13, 2017
This book provides an overview aspects of the solar system.
A couple of the sections (asteroid impacts on Earth / the probability of intelligent life on other planets) were fascinating, but the majority of the book will probably only appeal to those fascinated by space.
A couple of the sections (asteroid impacts on Earth / the probability of intelligent life on other planets) were fascinating, but the majority of the book will probably only appeal to those fascinated by space.
October 17, 2017
This is a very readable summary of our current knowledge of the Solar System by a JPL scientist who has been involved with many of the probes that have travelled to the various planets and other bodies therein. Buratti mostly avoids jargon (and there is a glossary included) and alternates between scientific descriptions and personal observations that make everything more interesting. This is the kind of science popularization that Carl Sagan (one of Buratti's teachers and mentors) was known for, although not quite as poetic as Sagan. I recommend this book for any science-minded teenager or adult who wants to know more about our place in the cosmos and what it takes to be a scientist.
December 24, 2017
Bonnie Buratti's Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar is a wonderful and personal look at some of our solar system's most amazing worlds (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto & several of the moons of Jupiter & Saturn get most of the attention). Dr. Buratti is a planetary astronomer at JPL and has a wonderful and personal insight into not only what is interesting about these worlds, but how many of our scientific discoveries have come about. A good read.
December 14, 2018
A quick overview of all the planets and bodies in our Solar System that we've visited over the years. It's told from perspective of a scientist who is on the battlefront of that journey, showing the evolution of our understanding about the planets but without sinking into jargon and technical language. It does feel a little biased in places: it gets a bit 'axe-grindy' in places as the author takes pains to point out naysayers of her theories who were later proved wrong. It was incredibly NASA centric, such as reducing the Soviet's dozen-ish Venus missions to a page.
That said, if you want a quick and informative tour of the planets and our exploration of them, then this is a worthy read.
That said, if you want a quick and informative tour of the planets and our exploration of them, then this is a worthy read.
September 19, 2022
'Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar: A Guided Tour of the Solar System' is an ebook by planetary astronomer Bonnie J. Buratti.
The ten chapters of this book start from Mercury near the Sun to Pluto and beyond to the search for Exoplanets and life outside our Solar System. Along the way, there is a wealth of information about each stop with information about initial discoveries, speculations about atmosphere, and what various probes have discovered.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author makes the subject accessible and infuses the book with infectious enthusiasm for the subject.
The ten chapters of this book start from Mercury near the Sun to Pluto and beyond to the search for Exoplanets and life outside our Solar System. Along the way, there is a wealth of information about each stop with information about initial discoveries, speculations about atmosphere, and what various probes have discovered.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author makes the subject accessible and infuses the book with infectious enthusiasm for the subject.
April 29, 2018
A great overview of the many fantastic worlds in the solar system! This book includes more historical perspectives than usually found in books that survey these worlds. Sprinkled within the book are numerous insights into the challenges of studying distant worlds and the realities of the scientific method. I am a professional planetary scientist and I found this book to be a page turner!
April 24, 2017
A nice round-up of some of the most interesting objects in our solar system (and beyond) told engagingly by an author who has been at the centre of some of the most famous scientific discoveries of the last few years. The book hits just the right level between scientific jargon and personal observation, and is thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in what is going on out there in the depths of space.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews