The Sun, Mercury and Venus

by Elkins-Tanton, Linda T.

• ISBN13: 9780816051939
• ISBN10: 0816051933
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Chelsea House Pub

Summary

The Sun, Mercury, and Venus begins with the story of the solar system's formation and the processes that created the Sun and its initial orbiters. The book discusses how the Sun has its strongest influence on Mercury, its dry, cratered surface baked by solar radiation. There is up-to-date information on the current MESSENGER mission to Mercury and an interesting comparison between the size and composition of Venus and Earth and the role of carbon in the two planets' atmospheres and landscapes. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Ph.D., received a doctorate in geology and geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and currently holds a research position at Brown University

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction	xix
PART ONE: THE SUN
Fast Facts about the Sun	3	(4)
Fundamental Information about the Sun	4	(3)
Formation of the Sun and the Planets	7	(8)
Protoplanetary Disks	9	(2)
Elements and Isotopes	11	(4)
Composition and Internal Structure of the Sun	15	(34)
Elementary Particles	16	(3)
Solar Core	19	(5)
Radiative Zone	24	(1)
Convective Zone	24	(1)
Magnetic Field	25	(1)
Photosphere	26	(4)
Doppler Effect	27	(3)
Chromosphere	30	(1)
Transition Zone	31	(1)
Corona	31	(11)
Remote Sensing	36	(6)
Solar Wind	42	(4)
Heliopause	46	(3)
The Sun's Effects on the Planets	49	(6)
Heat and Light	49	(2)
Solar Wind	51	(1)
Development of Vision in Animals	51	(1)
Death of the Sun	52	(3)
Missions to the Sun	55	(8)
PART TWO: MERCURY
Mercury: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit	63	(6)
Fundamental Information about Mercury	65	(2)
What Makes Gravity?	67	(2)
Mercury's Orbital Physics and the Theory of Relativity	69	(12)
Mercury's Interior: A Huge Core	81	(16)
Composition	81	(11)
Interior Structure of the Terrestrial Planets	82	(4)
Accretion and Heating: Why Are Some Solar System Objects Round and Others Irregular?	86	(6)
Magnetic Field	92	(5)
Visible Mercury	97	(12)
Craters	99	(2)
Smooth Young Plains	101	(6)
The Late Heavy Bombardment	103	(4)
Surface Conditions, Atmosphere, and Weather	107	(2)
Missions to Mercury	109	(6)
PART THREE: VENUS
Venus: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit	115	(8)
Fundamental Information about Venus	118	(5)
The Interior of Venus	123	(8)
Rheology, or How Solids Can Flow	126	(5)
Surface Conditions, Landforms, and Processes on Venus	131	(26)
Atmosphere and Weather	132	(5)
Surface Features	137	(20)
Optical Depth	138	(4)
Fossa, Sulci, and Other Terms for Planetary Landforms	142	(15)
Missions to Venus	157	(4)
Conclusions: The Known and the Unknown	161	(8)
Appendix 1: Units and Measurements	169	(12)
Fundamental Units	169	(2)
Comparisons among Kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit	171	(2)
Useful Measures of Distance	173	(4)
Definitions for Electricity and Magnetism	177	(3)
Prefixes	180	(1)
Appendix 2: Light, Wavelength, and Radiation	181	(9)
Appendix 3: A List of All Known Moons	190	(2)
Glossary	192	(8)
Bibliography and Further Reading	200	(2)
Internet Resources	202	(3)
Index	205

Excerpts

In 350 BCE, Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, wrote that Earth is the center of the solar system, and that all the other bodies in the solar system orbit Earth while set into a complex series of spheres. However, in 1514 CE, Nicolas Copernicus, a Prussian scientist and canon in the Catholic Church, challenged these previous beliefs, theorizing that the center of the universe is not Earth, but the Sun, that the distance from Earth to the Sun is imperceptible compared to the distance to the stars, and that the apparent retrograde motion of the planets is due to observing them from the orbiting Earth.
In a single, informative reference, The Sun, Mercury, and Venus discusses the innermost solar system and the importance of the Sun's energy on orbiting bodies. As the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is the least visited of terrestrial planets and is difficult to see because it is always close to the Sun from Earth's perspective. The Sun's brightness either damages instruments that attempt to see Mercury, or simply makes Mercury a dim and ill-resolved speck next to the limb of the Sun. This volume also covers the geological characteristics of Venus in relation to the Sun and the rest of the solar system. Perfect for those interested in understanding the science and history behind the exploration of these three celestial bodies, this volume puts a new spin on this exciting area of planetary science.
Coverage includes:
Atmosphere and weather
The composition of Mercury, the Sun, and Venus
Craters on Mercury and Venus
The formation of the Sun and the planets
Fundamental facts about Mercury, the Sun, and Venus
Magnetic fields
Mercury's huge core
The Sun's effect on the planets.