Book Description
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 of The 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.
Customer Reviews:
Stars and Galaxies and Nebula, oh my!.......2003-11-13
I bought The Planetary System for an Astronomy class and enjoyed the text immensely. I think Morrison and Owen should have added a few more explanations of events/heavenly bodies in a few places but overall this is a great book for introducing astronomy and definitely kept my interest! The cdrom that comes with the book "Voyager Skygazer" turned out to be fabulous fun although a little distracting when I discovered that I was able to track satellite orbits as well as the night sky events with its help.
Unbelievably boring.......2001-10-11
This book is very clear, but it is quite boring. I have to read it for an astronomy class and the hundred dollars I spent on it has been wasted. All the concepts are very clearly explained through pictures, examples from real life and diagrams, but this textbook still sucks nonetheless. IF you know that you have to purchase this textbook for a class, pray the class isnt as dull as the reading
Book Description
Our knowledge of Mars has grown enormously over the last decade as a result of the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and the two Mars Rover missions. This book is a systematic summary of what we have learnt about the geological evolution of Mars as a result of these missions. It describes the diverse Martian surface features and summarizes current ideas as to how, when, and under what conditions they formed, and explores how Earth and Mars differ and why the two planets evolved so differently. The author also discusses possible implications of the geologic history for the origin and survival of indigenous Martian life. Up-to-date and highly illustrated, this book will be a principal reference for researchers and graduate students in planetary science. The comprehensive list of references will also assist readers in pursuing further information on the subject. Colour images can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521872010.
Customer Reviews:
20 Yrs Later, Still the Best Mars Reference.......2000-04-13
20 years after publication, "The Surface of Mars" is still the absolute best starting point for anyone interested in learning the basics about what Mars is like. Chapters describe the channels, craters, volcanoes, history, moons, etc. as best as these topics were understood at the end of the 1970s Viking missions. Even after Pathfinder and with Mars Global Surveyor, this is still the book I suggest people start with to learn about the Red Planet.
Book Description
This comprehensive volume summarizes current knowledge of the Jovian system, in view of recent scientific developments regarding the Galileo spacecraft, the Galileo probe, the Cassini spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope, and numerous ground-based and theoretical studies. Chapters by recognized authorities cover all aspects of Jupiter, its satellites and magnetosphere.
Customer Reviews:
A comprehensive resource on Jupiter.......2005-11-22
Oh, yes, there are several excellent books about Jupiter for the layman. But if you have a technical background and want to learn about Jupiter, why not get the real thing? And this book is indeed the one to get. It has an introduction, twenty-six excellent papers by noted experts in their fields, and a CD with some additional color images. It contains information discovered by the Voyager, Galileo, and even the Cassini missions, as well as from a variety of telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope.
The book starts out by addressing questions of Jupiter's origin and interior. A major question is the ratio of helium to hydrogen. That value has to be above the minimum set by cosmology (Big Bang nucleosynthesis), given that the high metallicity of both Jupiter and the Sun suggest that we're not dealing with primordial matter. And one would expect it to be less than the ratio for our Sun, given that the Sun has produced some helium by burning hydrogen. But measurements of this ratio seem a little low, and we're treated to some possible explanations.
Next, we learn about the Jovian atmosphere. An interesting question here has been the amount of water and its significance. And we learn about some of the photochemistry of the stratosphere. As the editors say, "if you like your hydrocarbons fricasseed and you like to dance under a strobe of X-rays, then Jupiter's middle and upper atmosphere is the place to be."
After this, we move a little higher up, to discuss Jovian dust, including Jupiter's rings. How thick are they? How dense? And are the gossamer rings really composed of micron-sized particles and smaller? We then are introduced to the outer satellites and the Trojan asteroids.
There are papers discussing the major satellites in some detail. We learn about Io, its tidal heating, and its volcanoes. And about Europa, including its tides and tectonics. There's material about Europa's Laplace mean motion resonance with Io and Ganymede. And a discussion of astrobiological issues: if Europa has liquid water under its crust, and if there are hydrothermal vents, it is possible that life exists there. There is a paper about the atmospheres of the satellites, and another about radiation effects on satellite surfaces.
Jupiter's large size and 10-hour rotation period are responsible for an immense Jovian magnetosphere, and the final papers in this book discuss various aspects of it. We learn about magnetospheric interactions with satellites. And about the Io plasma torus. And there is a paper on the dynamics of the magnetosphere. One fundamental question here which still has not been totally resolved is the process by which this magnetosphere manages to accelerate the Io plasma from basically a few electron volts to well over 100 thousand electron volts. And there is a fascinating paper about Jupiter's aurora.
The final paper is on the Jovian radiation belts. Issues include the basic electron energy spectrum in the inner radiation belts and the wave modes that may be present there. And there is a practical issue as well: if we don't know what radiation fluxes we're facing, it will be tougher to design the next deep space probe to Jupiter.
If you are interested in studying any aspect of the Jovian system, this book is a good place to start. I highly recommend it.
Average customer rating:
- Another Handy Reference Book
- Excellent Resource Guide
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The Cambridge Planetary Handbook
Michael E. Bakich
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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The Cambridge Guide to the Constellations
ASIN: 0521632803 |
Book Description
The Cambridge Planetary Handbook is an invaluable reference text, bringing together key facts and data on the planets and their satellites, discoverers and researchers. It summarises many centuries’ worth of data, from the earliest observations of the planets through to the most recent spaceprobe findings. The author discusses the history, mythology and theories of the main objects in our solar system, and provides a comprehensive information section with accurate and up-to-date data on the planets. The book contains excellent photography and explanatory illustrations, along with numerous historical drawings from Galileo, Huygens, Herschel and other astronomers. This book is a must for all astronomy enthusiasts, as well as academic researchers, students and teachers. Those unfamiliar with the sky will find this a user-friendly guide written in clear, non-technical language.
Customer Reviews:
Another Handy Reference Book.......2006-06-11
If you need a quick look up reference for statistical information on the major bodies of the solar system then this is a really fine book.
Excellent Resource Guide.......2004-10-07
I found this book while researching in the library one day for astronimical events. I opened it and became intrigued immediately. The information contained within it kept me fascinated for hours and still does. I refer to it anytime I wish to know anything about the planets, eclipses, statistics concerning the planets etc. Each planet is addressed separately giving a history of the founder, how it was located. The beginning of each section pertaining to a planet includes items such as:
Physical Data: Size, Mass, Escape Velocity, Temperature Range, Oblateness, Surface Gravity, Volume, Magnetic Field Strength and orientation, Albedo, Density, Solar Irradiance, Atmosphere Pressure, Composition of Atmosphere, Maximum Wind Speeds, Cloud Features, Surface Features, Orbital Data, Observational Data, Early Ideas (a good history of how people interpreted information in earlier periods of time when technology was not as advanced as now), Important Concepts, Transits, Interesting Facts, Observing Data which includes Conjunction dates, elongation dates, Close conjunctions, Eclipses if applicable, Historical timelines.
The above information is provided for each planet, which makes this invaluable source book. In the beginning of the book there are comparison charts showing how each planet compares in Albedo, Angular Size, Atmospheric Composition, Atmospheric Pressure, Brightness & size of the Sun from each planet, Brillancy at Opposition, Cloud Features, Constellations Visited by the Moon and Planets, Density, Distances from Earth, Distances from Sun, Eccentricity, Escape Velocity, Future Dates of Conjunction (up to 2010), Future dates of Opposition (up to 2010), Future Significant Alignments, Future Transits (up to 2255), Inclination of Orbit, Magnetic Field strength and orientation, Mass, Named features on the planets and the Moon, Names of the planets, Sun and Moon around the world (includes: Arabic, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish, Swedish), Oblateness, Orbital period, Orbital Velocity, Rotational Period, Rotational Velocity (equatorial), Size, Solar Irradiance, Speed of Light Travel Times, Surface Gravity, Synodic Period, Temperature Range, Tilt of Axis, Volume, Winds Speeds, Satellites (which includes all the subject headings here for each satellite)
This is a wonderful book, packed with information that will fascinate and amaze at the same time teaching you about the universe. Science was not one of my favorite subjects but now as an adult I truly have begun to love it thanks to this one book.
I also consult this book whenever I wish to validate any astrological information that I might be working with or on. Truly and indispensible book.
Book Description
Meteorite research is fundamental to our understanding of the origin and early history of the Solar System. This book considers the mechanism and timing of core formation and basaltic volcanism on asteroids, and the effects of heating water-rich bodies. Results from meteorite research are placed in a galactic setting, and a theory is proposed for the origin of the planets of our Solar System. This advanced yet succinct introduction classifies meteorites in the context of their ages and origin.
Customer Reviews:
One of the only professional comprehensive meteorite books.......2000-02-14
This book is an invaluable source of information for the professional, and is also useful for those who have some background in geology. I've had this book checked out of the library for 2 years! It's time to get my own copy!
recommended by NASA for meteorite thin section analysis.......1999-08-31
If the person from Canada thought "it bit", perhaps they he would like to sell it to someone that finds the information invaluable. No other book published before or since focuses on the subject better!
It Bites!.......1999-01-13
I learned nothing form this book
Average customer rating:
- A good introductory review of extraterrestrial volcanism
- An overview on volcanic forces in our solar system
- A study of the geology and geologic forces of volcanoes
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Volcanoes of the Solar System
Charles Frankel
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521477700 |
Book Description
Space age lunar and planetary missions offer a new and enlarged perspective on volcanism, extending our experience to features discovered beyond this planet. Starting with Earth, Volcanoes of the Solar System takes the reader on a guided tour of the terrestrial planets and moons and their volcanic features. Lunar lava fields are seen through the eyes of the Apollo astronauts, and we are taken on an imaginary hike up the Martian slopes of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano of the Solar System. This comprehensive and lucid account of volcanoes includes over 150 photographs. The text describes the most recent data on the unique and varied volcanic features of Venus and updates our knowledge on the prodigiously active volcanoes of Io. This book is accessible to the general reader, yet includes enough detail to serve as an introduction for earth sciences students.
Customer Reviews:
A good introductory review of extraterrestrial volcanism.......2004-01-26
Mention the word "volcano", and most people think only of the Earth. However, as this fine book shows, such is hardly the case. Indeed, the phenomenon of volcanic activity is widespread in our own solar system.
The text is introductory in nature, and the book is unconfounded by spates of hypertechnical language. Anyone with an average scientific backgound will easily understand the great bulk of the matters discussed. Excellent photography, both from telescopes, as well as manned and robotic space vehicles, closely follows the text and contributes to its comprehension.
I believe the author occasionally leaves technical terms unexplained, however. Also, the photography is largely in black and white.
The book begins with chapters on Earth's own volcanism, and then proceeds to other planets and moon, including our moon, Venus, Mars, Io, and Triton. I found the chapters on Venus especially fascinating, given the wide variety of igneous features.
Any reader will come away with a well enhanced understanding of both our solar system and the part that vulcanism plays in its ongoing development. Recommended highly, especially for student of and devotees of planetary astronomy and volcanic processes.
An overview on volcanic forces in our solar system.......1998-04-06
This book offers an introduction into the dynamic forces forming the surface of the planets. It is easy to read and offers a lot of information. I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in planetary geology.
A study of the geology and geologic forces of volcanoes.......1997-03-29
This text discusses the geology of volcanoes throughout most of our solar system (it lacks a chapter on Mercury). In it the author begins with an examination of earth's volcanic landforms and then progresses to examine those on other planetary worlds. The level of writing is non-technical, and clearly for the beginner. However, on occasion I noted that the author did not define various terms which make parts of this text a bit more difficult for the novice to follow. Still, the text is quite readable and offers a good overview. This is especially true in the design of the book's chapters: there is an initial one on each of the major planets which is 'more introductory', which is then followed by a second chapter which is 'more advanced'. I will note that the photography is quite nice, and that the book covers some of the more exotic volcanoes (such as those on Io and Triton). This is a good text for those interested in an overview of one of the most facsinating landforms in our solar system
Book Description
For scientist and layman alike this book provides vivid evidence that the Copernican Revolution has by no means lost its significance today. Few episodes in the development of scientific theory show so clearly how the solution to a highly technical problem can alter our basic thought processes and attitudes. Understanding the processes which underlay the Revolution gives us a perspective, in this scientific age, from which to evaluate our own beliefs more intelligently. With a constant keen awareness of the inseparable mixture of its technical, philosophical, and humanistic elements, Mr. Kuhn displays the full scope of the Copernican Revolution as simultaneously an episode in the internal development of astronomy, a critical turning point in the evolution of scientific thought, and a crisis in Western man's concept of his relation to the universe and to God.
The book begins with a description of the first scientific cosmology developed by the Greeks. Mr. Kuhn thus prepares the way for a continuing analysis of the relation between theory and observation and belief. He describes the many functions--astronomical, scientific, and nonscientific--of the Greek concept of the universe, concentrating especially on the religious implications. He then treats the intellectual, social, and economic developments which nurtured Copernicus' break with traditional astronomy. Although many of these developments, including scholastic criticism of Aristotle's theory of motion and the Renaissance revival of Neoplatonism, lie entirely outside of astronomy, they increased the flexibility of the astronomer's imagination. That new flexibility is apparent in the work of Copernicus, whose DE REVOLUTIONIBUS ORBIUM CAELESTIUM is discussed in detail both for its own significance and as a representative scientific innovation.
With a final analysis of Copernicus' life work--its reception and its contribution to a new scientific concept of the universe--Mr. Kuhn illuminates both the researches that finally made the heliocentric arrangement work, and the achievements in physics and metaphysics that made the planetary earth an integral part of Newtonian science. These are the developments that once again provided man with a coherent and self-consistent conception of the universe and of his own place in it.
This is a book for any reader interested in the evolution of ideas and, in particular, in the curious interplay of hypothesis and experiment which is the essence of modern science. Says James B. Conont in his Foreword: "Professor Kuhn's handling of the subject merits attention, for... he points the way to the road which must be followed if science is to be assimilated into the culture of our times."
Customer Reviews:
Case Study of a Scientific Revolution.......2007-02-16
"The Copernican Revolution" tells the epochal story of how the earth-centered cosmology of Ptolemy was replaced by the sun-centered cosmology of Copernicus and Kepler. The book is a classic. Kuhn understood how ideas influence each other and hang together in a system. He could write with equal erudition about observational astronomy, medieval theology, astrology, and Aristotelian physics.
"The Copernican Revolution" is a trove of historical and intellectual insights. Perhaps the main lesson is that scientific progress is not a simple matter of theory being adapted to observation. Multiple theories can account for the same observations, theories have complex non-observational bases of support, and extra-theoretical assumptions provided by "common sense" (such as the immobility of the earth) can be highly contingent products of a culture. Scientific progress is never guaranteed. Erroneous theories -- such as the theory placing the earth at the center of the universe -- can hold sway for centuries and generate a vast body of supporting evidence, only to fall out of sync with new observations and a new climate of opinion -- at which point they can hang on tenaciously, or collapse "suddenly" over the course of a generation or two. It all comes down to history.
Kuhn's great contribution to thought was to situate the history of science within the history of ideas -- he treated scientific theories as the products of cultures, institutions, and sheer accidents, not as deliverances of pure logic. "The Copernican Revolution" is fantastic and should be ready by anyone who enjoyed and learned from "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." It's become fashionable to bash Kuhn lately but his books have a secure place in the canon of history and philosophy of science. Six stars!
How a world-view changed.......2005-04-02
The Sun and the planets and all the stars revolve around the Earth, which is itself at the center of the universe. Beyond the sphere of the fixed stars is nothing; there is no void or matter or anything, as voids cannot exist in nature. All these celestial bodies that do exist revolve in nice perfect circles. All these statements were once common knowledge to anyone with a smattering of education, even though astronomers were known to make slight variations on the concepts of circular motion. But today every single one of these concepts is demolished, and only fools believe in the Earth centered universe. Why was there a change? It certainly wasn't because of a mass of new information. The old geocentric universe was rejected long before anyone put up satellites and space probes to go zipping around the solar system. Even the invention of the telescope only provided the final blow to the old system. It was a fundamental change in thinking that made up the subject of The Copernican Revolution, Thomas Kuhn's look at the break between ancient and modern thinking on the subject.
Copernicus himself made no observations. He worked only with acquired data and ancient texts. What system did he start out with? This is important, as we can't understand what changed without knowing what was. Kuhn traces the nature of the Ptolemaic system with diagrams but virtually no equations (until the technical appendix at the end) to give the reader an understanding of what sorts of phenomena caught the eyes of ancient astronomers. The Sun and Moon and stars move in their own peculiar manners, and the planets, the wandering stars, behaved in the most peculiar manner of all. The ancients developed rather sophisticated methods to track and predict these movements using their own location as a reasonable starting point. Yet Copernicus had the idea that this starting point was not properly speaking the actual center of the universe. He developed a Sun centered system that qualitatively explained many phenomena (such as retrograde motion of the planets, a notable improvement) without some of the mathematical oddities of the old system, but required so many of its own modifications for accuracy that the final system was no neater than the original.
Yet some astronomers preferred the new to the old. This was, all myth busting aside, still a dangerous idea to advocate in the midst of the Reformation. There was a subtle distinction between advocating a mathematical model and advocating a statement of physical reality. There were many reasons to reject Copernicus, and Kuhn covers them here. There are two main themes: the first is that ancient astronomy was bound up with ancient physics and with theology, and rejecting one introduced many awkward questions about the rest that intellectually honest scholars couldn't ignore. The second is political. Most people know something of the story of Galileo and his confrontations with the Inquisition. It didn't help him that he was arrogant, that he mocked powerful people he called friends, and that politically it was a bad time to make waves. This is also touched upon briefly in Kuhn, but the focus remains on the intellectual revolution, and there Galileo had much to contribute in his new observations. Ultimately, the revolution was as much about insight and vision as about calculations and observations.
Readers more familiar with Kuhn from his later The Structure of Scientific Revolutions will find some of his discussion taking a familiar tone. Indeed, the Copernican revolution fits well with that model; it was a revolutionary idea that marked a turning point in Western science, straddling both the ancient and modern viewpoints. For the reader who is willing to visualize the issues and absorb the history, Kuhn has provided the most succinct and clear explanation of Copernicus's contribution to the Western world likely to be found anywhere.
Outstanding Elucidation.......2003-09-30
This book, written before his Structures, is condensed, well written and, for me at any rate, highly entertaining. No one with a casual understanding of the history of astronomy can read this and not be surprised. Of special interest is the illumination of the fact that at the time Copernicus offered his Helio-centric cosmology there was no good, scientific reason for accepting it - it being a geometric inversion of the Ptolemaic system and thus inheriting exactly all of the Ptolemaic deficiencies. Kuhn explores the reason for the gradual shift to Copernicanism and the effects a moving earth had on other sciences.
Excellent discussion and detail.......2003-08-05
The author gives thorough discussion about what Copernican revolution really is, who were the key players and how each contributed to the overall progress. In addition, it provides many technical details about many systems that affect the revolution in one way or the other. However, I do not think that any necessary astronomical experience is necessary to read the book, but in order to understand the full picture it is necessary to understand the technical details. Overall, the book develops the idea very clearly and gives insights that give a good understanding of how scientific thought developed.
A fascinating book.......2001-01-04
This book is an excellent and entertaining book for a scientific reader and/or for a general reader who doesn't mind being challenged a bit by logical arguments. Don't let this discourage you, though, since the logical arguments are not too difficult and really need to be discussed for completeness sake. The historical background adds to the book in a way comparable to Carl Sagan's 'COSMOS' series or to 'The Mechanical Universe' series. This book should be required reading for all enlightened westerners. It's THAT good.
Average customer rating:
- Intersting yes, accesible?, well not to me at least
- A VALUABLE BOOK ON NONLINEAR DYNAMICS
- Ecxellent presentation, exciting subject
- A nice historical and mathematical introduction to Chaos
- It was a dark and stormy seminar...
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Celestial Encounters
Florin Diacu , and
Philip Holmes
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Newton's Clock: Chaos in the Solar System
ASIN: 0691005451 |
Book Description
Celestial Encounters is for anyone who has ever wondered about the foundations of chaos. In 1888, the 34-year-old Henri Poincaré submitted a paper that was to change the course of science, but not before it underwent significant changes itself. "The Three-Body Problem and the Equations of Dynamics" won a prize sponsored by King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway and the journal Acta Mathematica, but after accepting the prize, Poincaré found a serious mistake in his work. While correcting it, he discovered the phenomenon of chaos.
Starting with the story of Poincaré's work, Florin Diacu and Philip Holmes trace the history of attempts to solve the problems of celestial mechanics first posed in Isaac Newton's Principia in 1686. In describing how mathematical rigor was brought to bear on one of our oldest fascinations--the motions of the heavens--they introduce the people whose ideas led to the flourishing field now called nonlinear dynamics.
In presenting the modern theory of dynamical systems, the models underlying much of modern science are described pictorially, using the geometrical language invented by Poincaré. More generally, the authors reflect on mathematical creativity and the roles that chance encounters, politics, and circumstance play in it.
Customer Reviews:
Intersting yes, accesible?, well not to me at least.......2006-06-16
I have an engiineering degree and an inclination to study mathematics, yet the book demands a level of sophistication that is ver high (at least to me), and the book only has 1 equation!!!! I bought it thinking into would lead me by the hand into the complex land...I find myself working very hard to keep the pace
A VALUABLE BOOK ON NONLINEAR DYNAMICS.......2004-11-23
Most popular books on scientific topics are by professional writers who know how to construct interesting narratives but don't really understand the science. Thus they are overly impressed by those whom they have recently interviewed, remaining ignorant of the broad picture and history of their subject. Seldom does one come across a well-written book for the general public by scientists, but "Celestial Encounters" is an exception to this general rule.
Both of the authors (Florin Diacu and Philip Holmes) are distinguished researchers in the area of nonlinear science and also fine writers. Thus the reader is ever in good hands as the technical parts of the book are not dumbed down; the more technical sections (which can be skipped in a first reading) are correctly and carefully written in simple English. Anyone reading through this book will come away with greater understanding of the famous N-body problem of celestial mechanics - including both the history and how it fits into the fabric of modern mathematics, particularly in connection with the development of nonlinear dynamics and the modern theory of chaos.
The historical perspectives presented are particularly vivid and informative. I don't know where one would find a more interesting and better informed discussion of the curious events surrounding the award of the 1889 mathematics prize by King Oscar II of Sweden to Henri Poincaré.
Ecxellent presentation, exciting subject.......2000-04-21
The book is a great pleasure to read. The style is light and profound at the same time. It talks to a sientifically mature reader but does not sacrifice the simplicity and the elegant clarity of the exposition. History and mathematics are well balanced. What I liked, probably, the most was that the process of scientific discovery is described is highly emotional (and as a scientist I share the same sentiment). It's also nice to see that Eastern European mathematicians received a fair credit here, which does not happen too often in histories of mathematics published in the States.
A nice historical and mathematical introduction to Chaos.......2000-03-21
It is a complete history of Dynamical Systems theory and at the same time an exposition of the mathematical ideas involved in this theory. An excellent introduction for beginers, and a good panoramic vision for people interested in science.
It was a dark and stormy seminar..........1997-09-03
If you enjoy math and astronomy-related topics and are curious about the history of some
fascinating 20th century discoveries concerning the n-body problem, this book should satisfy you. Warning: this book could also annoy you, if you
are the least bit sensitive to empty calories
such as:
"Napolean gazed deeply into Laplace's eyes...",
which liberally lard up the text.
Average customer rating:
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Physics of Planetary Rings: Celestial Mechanics of Continuous Media (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)
Alexei M. Fridman , and
Nikolai N. Gorkavyi
Manufacturer: Springer
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 354064864X |
Book Description
Physics of Planetary Rings describes striking structures of the planetary rings of Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune: Narrow ringlets, spiral waves, and a chain of clumps. The author has contributed essential ideas to the full understanding of planetary rings via the stability analysis of dynamical systems. The combination of a high-quality description, the set of interesting illustrations, as well as the fascinating and natural presentation will make this book of considerable interest to astronomers, physicists, and mathematicians as well as students. There is no competing text for this book so far.
Book Description
The Wheels of Apollo and the Quest for Mars fills a need for a complete history of the Lunar Roving Vehicle used on Apollo 15, 16 and 17, drawing on many photographs never before published. It will also tell the story of the successful robotic rovers used on Mars, and will conclude with a description of the new designs of rovers planned for The New Vision for Exploration now underway at NASA.
In the Introduction, Anthony Young discusses the influence of art and images in both books and magazines that sparked interest in manned space travel. The Cold War launched the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union and the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions are provided in overview as a prelude to following chapters.
Chapter One explains the early concepts of a lunar rover even before the start of Apollo. Following Apollo 11, requests to Industry for proposals are made, and Boeing wins the contract to design and build the Lunar Roving Vehicle. The book covers the complete program from Boeing’s perspective as well as the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Chapter Two details the testing undertaken by the astronauts with the 1-G trainer in desert environments as well as simulators, as well as at Kennedy Space Center in full EVA suits. Chapters Three, Four and Five cover Apollo missions 15, 16 and 17 respectively, when the lunar geology field trips were conducted, and the successful use of the LRV on the moon. Chapter Six describes the engineering of the Martian robotic rovers Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity. Chapter Seven covers the future use or manned and unmanned rovers in NASA’s New Vision for Exploration.
Books:
- The Study of Variable Stars Using Small Telescopes
- The Tattoo Encyclopedia : A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo
- The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide: The Real Deal on Girls, Growing Up and Other Guy Stuff
- The Urban Astronomer's Guide: A Walking Tour of the Cosmos for City Sky Watchers (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)
- The Voyage of Mae Jemison (Social Studies Emergent Readers)
- Too Close to the Sun: The Audacious Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton
- Too Far From Home: A Story of Life and Death in Space
- Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them
- Universe (DK Eyewitness Books)
- Vacation Under The Volcano (Magic Tree House 13, paper)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Silent Gesture: The Autobiography of Tommie Smith
- Nora Roberts Chesapeake Bay CD Collection: Sea Swept, Rising Tides, Inner Harbor, Chesapeake Blue
- Flashman's Lady
- I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away
- Mastering Digital SLR Photography
- History: Fiction or Science
- Monsieur Proust
- Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit
- Narrow Road to the Interior
- Important trees of the Ryukyu Islands
The Grand Tour: A Traveler's Guide to the Solar System
Patterns in Prehistory: Humankind's First Three Million Years
The New Solar System
A Brief Course in Business Statistics
Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the Politics of Ethnicity
