| Collation |
x, 185 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm |
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text txt rdacontent |
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unmediated n rdamedia |
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volume nc rdacarrier |
| Bibliog. |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
1. Our planetary system. Diversity in the Solar System -- General trends in the properties of the planets -- Why are planets round? -- When is a planet not a planet? -- 2. Other planetary systems. The discovery of exoplanets -- The implications of the existence of other planetary systems -- The future for exoplanet research -- 3. The surfaces of the planets. Rocks -- Geological structures -- Crater counting -- Mercury and Venus -- A tourist's guide to Mars -- Recent research on Mars -- 4. The interiors of the planets. What we do and don't know about planetary interiors -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune -- Why we know so much about the Earth -- Why is the surface of the Earth such an interesting place? -- 5. The atmospheres of the planets. The atmosphere of the Earth -- The other planets -- The weather on the Earth and elsewhere -- The origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres -- 6. The dynamics of planetary systems. Laws of planetary motion -- Stable and unstable orbits -- Tidal forces -- 7. The small objects in planetary systems. The evidence of the meteorites -- The asteroid belt -- Comets -- The Oort Cloud -- The Edgeworth-Kuiper belt -- 8. The origin of planetary systems. Laplace's big idea -- The protoplanetary disc -- From dust to planetesimals -- From planetesimals to planetary embryos -- From planetary embryos to planets -- Collisions, the Oort Cloud and planetary migration -- 9. Life in planetary systems. A short history of life on Earth -- The evolution of the Solar System as a habitat -- The possibility of life elsewhere -- Appendix A: The epoch of planetary exploration -- Appendix B: Derivation of Kepler's first and second laws. |
| Summary |
This volume is an introductory textbook on the science of planets within our own and other solar systems. The book begins with a description of the basic properties of the planets in our solar systems, and then moves on to compare them with what is known about planets in other solar systems. It continues by looking at the surfaces, interiors and atmospheres of the planets and then covers the dynamics and origin of planetary systems. The book closes with a look at the role of life in planetary systems. |
| Subject |
Planetary theory.
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Planets.
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Planetary systems.
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Planetary systems. fast (OCoLC)fst01938451 |
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Planetary theory. fast (OCoLC)fst01065120 |
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Planets. fast (OCoLC)fst01065127 |
| ISBN |
9780470016923 |
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0470016922 |
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9780470016930 |
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0470016930 |
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