This textbook emphasizes key basic principles of planetary science that help to unify the study of the solar system. It is organized in a hierarchical manner so that every chapter builds upon preceding ones.

This textbook emphasizes key basic principles of planetary science

that help to unify the study of the solar system. It is organized in a hierarchical manner so that every chapter builds upon preceding ones.

Starting with historical perspectives on space exploration and the development of the scientific method, the book leads the reader through the solar system. The presentations concerning the planets and their satellites emphasize that their origin and subsequent evolution can be explained by applications of certain basic principles of physics, chemistry, and celestial mechanics and that the surface features of the solid bodies in the solar system can be interpreted by means of the principles of geology.

Designed to be comprehensible to students at colleges and universities Emphasizes certain basic principles that help to unify the study of the solar system Organized in a hierarchical manner so that every chapter builds on preceding ones Well illustrated with diagrams and color photographs all of which have explanatory captions that reinforce and amplify the information provided Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
The Urge to Explore.- From Speculation to Understanding.- The Planets of the Solar System.- Life and Death of Stars.- Origin of the Solar System.- Earth: Model of Planetary Evolution.- The Clockwork of the Solar System.- Meteorites and Impact Craters.- The Earth-Moon System.- Mercury: Too Hot for Comfort.- Venus; Planetary Evolution Gone Bad.- Mars: The Little Planet that Could.- Asteroids: Shattered Worlds.- Jupiter: Heavy-Weight Champion.- Galilean Satellites: Jewels of the Solar System.- Saturn: The Beauty of Rings.- Titan: An Ancient World in Deep Freeze.- Uranus: What Happened Here?.- Neptune: More Surprises.- Pluto and Charon: The Odd Couple.- Ice Worlds at the Outer Limit.- Comets: Coming Inside from the Cold.- Earth: The Cradle of Humans.- Brown-Dwarf Stars and Extrasolar Planets.