The Hunt for Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto [Paperback]

Ever since the serendipitous discovery of planet Uranus in 1871, astronomers have been hunting for new worlds in the outer regions of our solar system. This exciting and ongoing quest culminated recently in the discovery of hundreds of ice dwarfs in the Kuiper belt, robbed Pluto from its planet status, and led to a better understanding of the origin of the solar system.

This timely book reads like a scientific who done it, going from the heights of discovery to the depths of disappointment in the hunt for Planet X. Based on many personal interviews with astronomers, the well-known science writer Govert Schilling introduces the heroes in the race to be the first in finding another world, bigger than Pluto.

A Larger Solar System.- Eleven Planets.- The Writing Desk Planet.- #x2018;I#x2019;ve Found Your Planet X#x2019;.- The Kid Planet.- A Strange and Wonderful Week.- Fortunate Circumstances.- Nix and Hydra.- The Unauthorized Planet.- Uranus: Problem Solved?.- Mysterious Forces.- The Hunt for the Death Star.- The Secret Planet.- Vulcanoids and Earth-Grazers.- The Kuiper Connection.- Comet Puzzles.- Smiley.- Family Portraits.- The Migrating Planet.- Icy Treasure Troves.- The Big Five.- The Tenth Planet.- The Spanish Invasion.- Pas de deux.- Model from Nice.- Planet Under Siege.- Planetary Elections.- The Continuing Story.- A Thousand Planets.- New Horizons.

From the reviews:

The Hunt for Planet X is a fascinating tale by one of the world's premier astronomy writers. Govert Schilling is not only scrupulously accurate, he writes beautifully as well. (Stephen P. Maran, Author of Astronomy for Dummies and Press Officer, American Astronomical Society)

The Hunt for Planet X is an adventure story or, more accurately, a series of adventure stories. Schilling tells them well, capturing both the science and the people involved. It