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Print Price: $13.50

Format:
Paperback
144 pp.
25 b/w halftones, 111 mm x 174 mm

ISBN-13:
9780199573509

Publication date:
December 2010

Imprint: OUP UK

Planets: A Very Short Introduction

Dr. David A. Rothery

Series : Very Short Introductions

This Very Short Introduction looks deep into space and describes the worlds that make up our Solar System: terrestrial planets, giant planets, dwarf planets and various other objects such as satellites (moons), asteroids and Trans-Neptunian objects. It considers how our knowledge has advanced over the centuries, and how it has expanded at a growing rate in recent years.

David A. Rothery gives an overview of the origin, nature, and evolution of our Solar System, including the controversial issues of what qualifies as a planet, and what conditions are required for a planetary body to be habitable by life. He looks at rocky planets and the Moon, giant planets and their satellites, and how the surfaces have been sculpted by geology, weather, and impacts.

Readership : General readers with an interest in the Earth and the Solar System and students studying astronomy, planetary science and geology.

Introduction
1. Rocky planets
2. Giant planets
3. Satellites and rings
4. Asteroids
5. The Kuiper Belt
6. Exoplanets

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Dr David Rothery became interested in astronomy as a schoolboy, and took a degree in geology at Cambridge University. He went on to a career in geological remote sensing at the Open University, where is now a senior lecturer chairing planetary science courses and doing research in volanology and planetary science. He has been involved in various lunar and martian missions, and is now lead scientist for an X-ray spectrometer to be flown to Mercury on the BepiColombo spacecraft, and has chaired the European Space Agency's Mercury surface and composition working group since 2007.

Galaxies: A Very Short Introduction - John Gribbin
Cosmology: A Very Short Introduction - Peter Coles

Special Features

Provides an overview of our Solar System and its origins, nature, and evolution.
Considers controversial issues, such as what qualifies as a planet.
Looks at different types of Solar System objects, such as asteroids, Trans-Neptunian objects, and exoplanets.
Demonstrates the excitement, uncertainties, and challenges faced by planetary scientists.