Discovering the Solar System, Second Edition covers the Sun, the planets, their satellites and the host of smaller bodies that orbit the Sun. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the subject for science students, and examines the discovery, investigation and modelling of these bodies. Following a thematic approach, chapters cover interiors, surfaces and the atmospheres of major bodies, including the Earth. The book starts with an overview of the Solar System and its origin, and then takes a look at small bodies, such as asteroids, comets and meteorites.

Carefully balancing breadth of coverage with depth, Discovering the Solar System, Second Edition:

• Offers a comprehensive introduction, assuming little prior knowledge
• Includes full coverage of each planet, as well as the moon, Europa and Titan. The Second Edition includes new material on exoplanetary systems, and a general update throughout.
• Presents latest results from the Mars Rover and Cassini-Huygens missions
• Includes a colour plate section
• Contains 'stop and think' questions embedded in the text to aid understanding, along with questions at the end of major sections. Answers are provided at the end of the book.
• Provides summaries at the end of each chapter, and a glossary at the end of the book

Praise for the First Edition:

"(...) essential reading for all undergraduate students (...) and for those at a more advanced level approaching the subject for the first time." THE SCIENCE BOOK BOARD BOOK REVIEW

"One of the best books on the solar system I have seen. The general accuracy and quality of the content is excellent." JOURNAL OF THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION

About the Author

Professor Barrie W. Jones, Professor of Astronomy, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
Has been awarded the David Wynn-Williams Prize for services to Astrobiology, by the Astrobiology Society of Britain in 2006.

Reviews
"A thorough book for two-semester college-level courses...it also serves astronomers...a suitable book for any college library." (CHOICE, January 2008)

"...is strongly recommended both for its coverage and its style of presentation..." (Spaceflight)

"...certainly qualifies as an authoritative text.... The author clearly has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject..." (Meteoritics and Planetary Science)

"...liberally doused with relevant graphs, tables, and black and white figures of good quality..." (EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union)

"...one of the best books on the Solar System.... The general accuracy and quality of the content is excellent..." (Journal of the British Astronomical Association)

Book Information
ISBN 9780470018316
Author Barrie W. Jones
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc
Weight(grams) 907g
Dimensions(mm) 249mm * 191mm * 27mm