The Solar System in Close-Up [Paperback]

In response to the new information gained about the Solar System from recent space probes and space telescopes, the experienced science author Dr. John Wilkinson presents the state-of-the art knowledge on the Sun, solar system planets and small solar system objects like comets and asteroids. He also describes space missions like the New Horizons space probe that provided never seen before pictures of the Pluto system; the Dawn space probe, having just visited the asteroid Vesta, and the dwarf planet Ceres; and the Rosetta probe inorbit around comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko that has sent extraordinary and most exciting pictures. Those and a number of other probes are also changing our understanding of the solar system and providing a wealth of new up close photos. This book will cover all these missions and discuss observed surface features of planets and moons like their compositions, geisers, aurorae, lightning phenomena etc.Presenting the fascinating aspects of solar system astronomy this book is a complete guide to the Solar System for amateur astronomers, students, science educators and interested members of the public.
The new solar system.- Space probes and telescopes.- The dominant Sun.- Mercury  the messenger.- Venus  the bright goddess.- Earth  the planet of life.- Mars  the red planet.- The Asteroids - a belt of rocks.- Jupiter  king of the planets.- Saturn  the planet of rings.- Uranus   the blue planet.- Neptune  a cold world.- TransNeptunian Objects.- Comets.Each chapter begins with bullet points of chapter highlights, followed by copious detail on the subjects & many excellent images, some tables, and useful diagrams. & All references are web links (mostly to NASA). Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, general readers. (M.-K. Hemenway, Choice, Vol. 54 (4), December, 2016)

Dr. John Wilkinson is an experienced science author having recently written  The Moon in Close-ulc: