Read Anywhere and on Any Device!

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Join today and start reading your favorite books for Free!

Create Free Account

Exploring Planetary Worlds

4.1/5 ( ratings)

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

Language: English

Pages: 250

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Scientific American Library

Release: March 15, 1993

ISBN: 0716750430

ISBN 13: 9780716750437

Exploring Planetary Worlds

4.1/5 ( ratings)

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

Language: English

Pages: 250

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Scientific American Library

Release: March 15, 1993

ISBN: 0716750430

ISBN 13: 9780716750437

More books from David Morrison

Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective

4.2/5 ( ratings)

Astronomy

4.1/5 ( ratings)

The Mind Map

3.6/5 ( ratings)

Travel Nurse's Bible ( A Guide to Everything on Travel Nursing )

4.3/5 ( ratings)

Beyond Gay

2.5/5 ( ratings)

Voyages to the Stars and Galaxies (with CD-ROM, Virtual Astronomy Labs, and Infotrac) [With CDROM and Infotrac]

4.3/5 ( ratings)

The Planetary System [With CDROM]

3.8/5 ( ratings)

Travels With Penny, or, True Travel Tales of a Gay Guy and His Mom

3.3/5 ( ratings)

Angie & Beau's Day Out: A Dog's Life (Happy Feet Dogs Book 1)

Cosmic Catastrophes

Personal Demons (Jason Storm, Monster Hunter Book 1)

4.8/5 ( ratings)

Voyages Through The Universe

3.5/5 ( ratings)

Abell's Exploration of the Universe

3.8/5 ( ratings)

The Last Picture Show?: Britain's Changing Film Audience

3.5/5 ( ratings)

Voyage to Jupiter

Voyages to the Planets (with CD-ROM, Virtual Astronomy Labs, and Infotrac) [With CDROM and Infotrac]

4.5/5 ( ratings)

Theoretical Criminology: From Modernity to Post-Modernism

CONFIDENTIALS OF AN ASTOUNDING MARRIAGE.: Get ready for a fantastic marriage

The Edge: How to Stand Out by Showing You’re All In (For Emerging Leaders and Those Who Lead Them)

Profit & Ambition: The North West Company and the Fur Trade 1779-1821

Rate this book!

Write a review?