Where did we come from? Before there was life there had to be something to live on - a planet, a solar system. During the past 200 years, astronomers and geologists have developed and tested several different theories about the origin of the solar system and the nature of the Earth. Together, the three volumes that make up A History of Modern Planetary Physics present a survey of these theories. The early twentieth century saw the replacement of the Nebular Hypothesis with the Chamberlain-Moulton theory that the solar system resulted from the encounter of the Sun with a passing star. Fruitful Encounters follows the eventual refutation of the encounter theory and the subsequent revival of a modernised Nebular Hypothesis. Professor Brush also discusses the role of findings from the Apollo space programme, especially the analysis of lunar samples, culminating in the establishment, in the 1980s, of the 'giant impact' theory of the Moon's origin.

Fruitful Encounters surveys the development of theories of the origin of the solar system in the twentieth century.
Reviews
Review of the hardback: '... can be highly recommended as a reference on the history of plantogonies.' Meteorite
Review of the hardback: 'These three volumes give a very interesting overview of the historic development of theories beginning with the 17th century and ending in the 1980s, which have led to our present day understanding of the possible processes that have been involved in the formation of our solar system including Earth.' Geological Society Journal



Book Information
ISBN 9780521552141
Author Stephen G. Brush
Format Hardback
Page Count 368
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 650g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 162mm * 27mm