solar system

The asteroid mining ship El Cavador is far out in the solar system working on Kuiper Belt beyond Pluto, when its crew discover that something very large is quickly approaching the solar system and they rush to get a warning message back to Earth, but will it reach them in time?.

Astronomer Ray Jayawardhana discusses the scientific quest to discover other planets and life in the universe, describing breakthroughs into the early twenty-first century, and examining the tools and technology available to scientists seeking life on other worlds.

Contains essays that provide information on every major body and phenomenon in Earth's solar system, including individual planets, asteroids, moons, gravity measurement, and infrared astronomy; arranged alphabetically from A-to-Jup, with a chart listing units of measure, photographs, and suggestions for further reading.

Discusses the history of how astronomers came to know the age of the universe, exploring the age of various celestial bodies within the universe and covering the inner workings of scientific inquiry.

Astronomer Mike Brown describes how his search for a tenth planet, Eris, a planet more massive than Pluto, led to the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet.

Explores how the earth would be different in ten alternative astronomical conditions, including how the planet would change if there was a second moon, if the moon orbited backwards, if the earth's crust were thicker, if there was a counter-Earth, if the sun were less massive, and if there were two suns.

An exploration of the outer solar system that discusses asteroids, meteors and meteorites, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, and comets. Includes appendixes of moons and black-and-white photographs.

An introduction to the features of the inner solar system, discussing the composition and origin of the solar system, and covering the sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Earth's moon, eclipses, and Mars.

Describes what we have learned about our solar system from telescopes and spacecraft, focusing on the characteristics of the planets and their moons.

Chronicles changes in the definition of "planet" from ancient Greece forward, discussing such topics as the discoveries of Uranus, Neptune, the Kuiper Belt, and extrasolar planets, and examines the question of Pluto's planet status.