The Planetary System

by Morrison, David; Owen, Tobias

• ISBN13: 9780805387346
• ISBN10: 080538734X
• Format: Paperback w/CD
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings

Summary

Co-authors Morrison and Owen are leading researchers in planetary astronomy today, and this book reflects their expertise and excitement for the subject. Drawing on recent findings, this authoritative, up-to-date book gives a straightforward account of our solar system. Written in an informal style with minimal use of mathematics, this book is ideal for beginning non-science readers.Since publication of the previous edition ofThe Planetary System, the pace of planetary exploration and new discoveries has accelerated. Also, the new multidisciplinary field of astrobiology has emerged and now provides a fruitful perspective for the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life within our solar system and other planetary systems. As scientists who have participated in the definition and development of astrobiology, Morrison and Owen have integrated these new perspectives, as well as many other discoveries, into this new edition to make it once again undisputedly the most authoritative, up-to-date, and exciting planetary book available.For anyone interested in astronomy or planetary astronomy.

Table of Contents

Finding Our Place in Space	1	(29)
Watching the Sky: Sun, Moon, and Stars	2	(5)
Watching the Sky: The Planets	7	(2)
The Slow Growth of Reason	9	(6)
Newton and the Law of Gravitation	15	(5)
Perspective: Scientific Skepticism	18	(2)
Escaping from Earth	20	(2)
The System Revealed	22	(2)
Quantitative Supplement: Kepler's Laws in Mathematical Form	24	(5)
The Sun: An Ordinary Star	29	(22)
The Sun as a Star	30	(2)
Building Blocks: Atoms and Isotopes	32	(1)
Composition of the Sun	33	(3)
The Sun's Energy	36	(4)
Life History of the Sun	40	(2)
Solar Activity	42	(4)
Quantitative Supplement: Radiation Laws	46	(5)
Getting to Know Our Neighbors	51	(24)
Basic Properties: Mass, Size, and Density	52	(2)
Chemistry of the Planets	54	(2)
Origin and Classification of Rocks	56	(3)
Planetary Atmospheres	59	(1)
Studying Matter from a Distance	60	(8)
Perspective: Do the Planets Influence Our Lives?	67	(1)
Exploring the Planetary System	68	(7)
Meteorites: Remnants of Creation	75	(20)
The Solar Nebula	76	(3)
Classification of Meteorites	79	(6)
Ages of Meteorites and Other Rocks	85	(1)
Primitive Meteorites	86	(3)
Differentiated Meteorites	89	(2)
Meteorite Parent Bodies	91	(1)
Quantitative Supplement: Radioactive Age Dating	92	(3)
Asteroids: Building Blocks of the Inner Planets	95	(24)
Discovery of the Asteroids	96	(4)
Main Belt Asteroids	100	(5)
Asteroids Far and Near	105	(4)
Asteroids Close Up	109	(7)
Perspective: Defending the Earth Against Asteroids	110	(6)
Quantitative Supplement: Asteroid Collisions	116	(3)
Comets: Messengers from the Cold, Dark Past	119	(26)
Comets Through History	120	(4)
The Comet's Atmosphere	124	(3)
The Comet's Nucleus	127	(7)
Comet Dust	134	(1)
Origin and Evolution of Comets	135	(5)
Quantitative Supplement: Albedos and Temperatures	140	(5)
The Moon: Our Ancient Neighbor	145	(32)
The Face of the Moon	146	(4)
Expeditions to the Moon	150	(7)
Perspective: Were the Apollo Landings Faked?	156	(1)
Impact Cratering	157	(7)
Early Lunar History	164	(4)
Lunar Volcanism	168	(3)
The Surface of the Moon	171	(3)
Perspective: Being There and Going Back	173	(1)
Quantitative Supplement: Impact Energies	174	(3)
The Moon and Mercury: Strange Relatives	177	(24)
An Elusive Planet	178	(1)
Tides and Spins	179	(6)
The Face of Mercury	185	(5)
Interiors of the Moon and Mercury	190	(2)
Colliding Planets: Origin of the Moon and Mercury	192	(4)
Quantitative Supplement: Radar and the Doppler Effect	196	(1)
Quantitative Supplement: Synodic Period	197	(4)
The Earth: Our Home Planet	201	(30)
Earth as a Planet	202	(1)
The Earth's Interior	203	(4)
The Changing Face of the Earth	207	(5)
Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Hypothesis	212	(4)
Ocean and Atmosphere	216	(3)
Upper Atmosphere and Magnetosphere	219	(4)
Climate and Weather	223	(8)
Venus: Earth's Exotic Twin	231	(28)
Unveiling the Goddess of Beauty	232	(3)
The Atmosphere and the Greenhouse Effect	235	(5)
Weather on Venus	240	(2)
The Hidden Landscape	242	(2)
Craters and Tectonics	244	(4)
Volcanoes and Planet-Scale Convulsions	248	(4)
On the Searing Surface	252	(2)
Quantitative Supplement: The Greenhouse Effect	254	(5)
Mars: The Planet Most Like Earth	259	(40)
A Century of Changing Perceptions	261	(4)
Global Perspective	265	(7)
View from the Surface	272	(6)
Volcanoes and Tectonic Features	278	(4)
Martian Channels	282	(5)
The Polar Regions	287	(6)
Perspective: The Face on Mars	288	(5)
The Martian Atmosphere	293	(6)
Planets, Atmospheres, and Life	299	(32)
Life on Earth	300	(4)
Co-Evolution of the Planet and Life	304	(5)
Comparing the Planets	309	(2)
The Search for Life on Mars	311	(8)
Perspective: Planetary Protection	319	(1)
Early Mars: What Went Wrong?	320	(3)
Goldilocks and the Three Planets	323	(4)
Perspective: The New Science of Astrobiology	326	(1)
Quantitative Supplement: Atmospheric Escape	327	(4)
Jupiter and Saturn: The Biggest Giants	331	(32)
Missions to the Giant Planets	332	(3)
Internal Structure of Two Fluid Planets	335	(3)
Atmospheric Composition and Structure	338	(6)
Weather and Climate	344	(7)
Clouds, Colors, and Chemistry	351	(2)
Magnetospheres and Radio Broadcasts	353	(6)
Quantitative Supplement: Building a Giant Planet	359	(4)
In Deep Freeze: Planets We Cannot See	363	(24)
Discoveries of the Outer Planets	364	(3)
Three Distant Worlds	367	(3)
Atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune	370	(4)
Climate, Clouds, and Weather	374	(4)
Magnetospheres	378	(1)
Pluto and its Moon	379	(5)
Perspective: Is Pluto a Real Planet?	381	(3)
Quantitative Supplement: Discovering a Planet	384	(3)
Worlds of Fire and Ice: The Large Satellites	387	(34)
Impact Craters and Surface Ages	387	(3)
Callisto and Ganymede, The Icy Moons	390	(6)
Europa, the Moon with an Ocean	396	(4)
Io, the Volcanic Moon	400	(5)
Titan, the Atmospheric Moon	405	(6)
Triton, Neptune's Maverick Moon	411	(2)
Comparing the Large Satellites	413	(8)
Perspective: Exploration Science	416	(5)
Small Satellites and Planetary Rings	421	(28)
Satellite and Ring Systems	422	(3)
The Satellite Zoo	425	(8)
The Broad Bright Rings of Saturn	433	(4)
The Narrow Dark Rings of Uranus and Neptune	437	(4)
Stability of Ring and Satellite Systems	441	(3)
The Origin of Rings and Small Satellites	444	(2)
Quantitative Supplement: The Tidal Stability Limit	446	(3)
Origin of the Planetary System	449	(22)
Basic Properties of the Planetary System	450	(1)
The Life of a Star	450	(4)
The Problem of Angular Momentum	454	(3)
Evolution of the Disk: Condensation, Accretion, and Dissipation	457	(5)
Terrestrial Planets and the Importance of Impacts	462	(2)
Giant Planets and Their Rings and Moons	464	(4)
Quantitative Supplement: Angular Momentum in the Solar Nebula	468	(3)
Distant Worlds	471	(32)
The Search for Planetary Systems	472	(5)
Meeting Brave New Worlds	477	(5)
The Challenge to Standard Models	482	(4)
Seeking Other Earths	486	(4)
Life in Other Planetary Systems	490	(3)
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence	493	(5)
Perspective: UFOs and Ancient Astronauts: Two Modern Myths	494	(4)
Quantitative Supplement: Motions in Planetary Systems	498	(5)
Appendix: Measurements and Units	503	(2)
Glossary	505	(12)
Credits	517	(2)
Index	519