The Cambridge guide to the solar system
Lavishly illustrated in colour, this book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date description of the planets and their moons. Writing at an introductory level appropriate for students and general readers, Professor Lang leads the reader on a fascinating journey of exploration to the worlds beyond our home planet Earth.
XIV, 452 p. ; 28 cm
9780521813068, 0521813069
912313114
Preface; Principal units; Part I. Changing Views and Fundamental Concepts: 1. Evolving perspectives - a historical prologue; 2. The new, close-up view from space 3. The invisible buffer zone with space - atmospheres, magnetospheres and the solar wind; Part II. The Inner System - Rocky Worlds: 4. Third rock from the Sun - restless Earth; 5. The Moon: stepping stone to the planets; 6. Mercury: a dense battered world; 7. Venus: the veiled planet; 8. Mars: the red planet; Part III. The Giant Planets, Their Satellites and Their Rings - Worlds of Liquid, Ice and Gas: 9. Jupiter: a giant primitive planet; 10. Saturn: lord of the rings; 11. Uranus and Neptune; Part IV. Remnants of Creation - Small Worlds in the Solar System: 12. Comets; 13. Asteroids and meteorites; 14. Colliding worlds; Appendix 1. Further reading; Appendix 2. Directory of web sites; Index.