An Introduction To The Solar System

Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for introductory university courses in planetary science. It starts with a tour of the Solar System and an overview of its formation. The composition, internal structure, surface morphology and atmospheres of the terrestrial planets are then described. This leads naturally to a discussion of the giant planets and why they are compositionally different. Minor bodies are reviewed and the book concludes with a discussion of the origin of the Solar System and the evidence from meteorites. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, and illustrated in colour throughout, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. The book is also supported by a website hosting further teaching materials.

Updated third edition introduces undergraduates to the Solar System's bodies, the processes upon and within them, and their origins and evolution.

Readers will want to grab a telescope and explore the night skies after finishing this overview of our solar system. Our solar system consists of eight planets, as well as numerous moons, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids. For thousands of years, humans believed that Earth was at the center of the Universe, but all of that changed in the 17th century. Astronomers like Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton proposed the unthinkable theory that Earth and the other planets actually revolved around the Sun. This engaging book chronicles the beginning of the modern age of astronomy, then follows later discoveries, including NASA's current missions in space.

Now updated with the journeys of the 2012 Mars rover Curiosity and the 2020 Mars rover Perseverance, Solar System undertakes an astonishing visual journey through time and space through fascinating text, original graphics, and stunning photographs. Never before have the wonders of our solar system been so immediately accessible to readers of all ages. Award‑winning writer and broadcaster Marcus Chown combines science and history to visually and narratively explore our neighboring planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets and more, as well as the historical figures who aided in their discoveries. From the explosive surface of the sun to the new missions on Mars; from the gargantuan rings of Saturn to the volcanoes of Io; from the latest images of Pluto from NASA's New Horizons probe, to a simulation of what the Oort Cloud might look like, Solar System offers a window seat from which to view the beauty and magnificence of space.

Blast off on an exploration of our solar system—a fun space book for kids 3 to 5 Get even the smallest astronomer excited for the big universe of space, from the bright and burning sun to our own blue Earth to ice-capped Pluto and every planet in between. With this book, kids will explore the entire solar system through incredible photos and fascinating facts on what makes each planet so special—like their size, distance from the sun, what the surface is like, how many moons they have, and more! This planets for kids book includes: Big, beautiful images―Vibrant photos will take kids deep into space and onto each planet―no telescope required. Astronomy for kids―Learn all about the eight planets in our solar system, plus dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake. Fun space facts―Did you know the bubbles in soda are the same gas that’s on Venus? Out of this world facts will keep kids glued to the page and excited to explore the sky. Show kids the amazing universe that surrounds them with this fun and engaging astronomy book.

An introduction to the bodies in the solar system, including the Sun, planets, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

The Sunday Times Bestseller In Wonders of the Solar System – the book of the acclaimed BBC TV series – Professor Brian Cox will take us on a journey of discovery where alien worlds from your imagination become places we can see, feel and visit.