Exploring Planetary Worlds

Scientific American Library Series #45

by David Morrison

Pioneer, Venera, Mariner, Galileo, Giotto, Voyager, Magellan: The names given to space missions evoke images of dramatic, discovery. Results have lived up to those images. Direct investigations of the planets & other bodies by these probes have yielded huge amounts of information, taking us to unprecedented levels of understanding how the solar system evolved. Exploring Planetary Worlds incorporates the findings from space investigations into a portrayal of the planets & associated planetary satellites, rings, asteroids & comets. Written by planetary scientist David Morrison, the book focuses not only on the processes that shaped each planet's distinctive character, but also on what the individuality of the planets tells us about the Earth & the origin & development of our solar system. His approach is unique. Rather than describe each planet separately, he groups them by primary traits, comparing & distinguishing their sizes, atmospheres, surfaces, magnetic fields, energy sources, chemical compositions & geologic histories. Throughout, surprising discoveries are revealed-Saturn isn;t the only planet with rings; the greenhouse effect has rendered the surface of Venus hotter than that of Mercury; the Great Red Spot of Jupiter is actually a massive weather system & a similar dark spot exists on Neptune; icy & arid Mars once displayed Earthlike rains & rivers; & more. Morrison concludes with one of the most talked-about topics in modern astronomy-the role of collisions between comets, asteroids & the Earth in shaping the history of life on our planet.
Preface
Prologue: Wanderers: evolving perspectives on the planets
Giants: the jovian planets
Cratered worlds: the Moon & Mercury
Strange twins: Venus & Earth
Destination Mars: the planet most like earth
Fire & ice: small bodies in the outer solar system
Remnants of creation: comets, asteroids & the origin of the solar system
Epilogue: Cosmic impacts: a planetary perspective
Further Readings
Sources of Illustrations
Index

Genres: Science

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Roland W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Book on our solar system, from the mid 90's Scientific American Library.

[Daelyn Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring Planetary Worlds by David Morrison is a great book showing facts about our solar system. This book shows and speaks about the terrain and gas giants. I like this book because it shows you facts about our earliest encounters with the planets to the technologies that we landed on Venus before they melted into oblivion. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about our universe and space. Read the book: Exploring Planetary Worlds by David Morrison, TODAY!

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting so far ! Will describe more later !