The New Solar System

by Edited by J. Kelly Beatty , Carolyn Collins Petersen , Andrew Chaikin

• ISBN13: 9780521645874
• ISBN10: 0521645875
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The New Solar System, now in its fourth edition, is firmly established as the leading text on planetary science and solar system studies. A distinguished team of researchers, many of the Principal Investigators on NASA missions, has carried out a complete revision of the text, illustrations and tables. The book has been completely redesigned to display hundreds of new images to best advantage and to make the reference data and tables easier to use. New to this edition are descriptions of collisions in the solar system, full scientific results from Galileo's mission to Jupiter and its moons, and the Mars Pathfinder mission. Sections on comets, the search for other worlds, and the search for life take into account the latest discoveries.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Exploring the solar system

2. Origin of the solar system

3. The Sun

4. Planetary magnetospheres and the interplanetary medium

5. Cosmetary reservoirs

6. The role of collisions

7. Mercury

8. Venus

9. Planet Earth

10. The Moon

11. Mars

12. Surfaces and interiors of the Terrestrial planets

13. Atmospheres of the terrestrial planets

14. Interiors of the giant planets

15. Atmospheres of the giant planets

16. Planetary rings

17. Io Torrence

18. Europa

19. Ganymede and Callisto

20. Titan

21. Triton, Pluto and Charon

22. Midsize icy satellites

23. Small worlds: patterns and relationships

24. Comets

25. Asteroids

26. Meteorites

27. Life in the solar system

28. Other planetary systems

Tables

Glossary

Biographical sketches of contributors, Index.