The Planets

by David McNab and James Younger

During the last forty years, human beings have broken free of the Earth and ventured out to other worlds orbiting the Sun. We have visited every planet except Pluto, discovered dozens of new moons in orbit around other planets, and put to rest myths and fantasies that have been accepted for centuries. This magnificent book chronicles our planetary travels, explains the creation and evolution of each planet, and tells how our understanding of the solar...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300080441
• ISBN13: 9780300080445
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 2.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 10.1" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

Other worlds (and this one, too...)

The Planets, by David McNab and James Younger, is a stunning and interesting companion book to the BBC/A & E series of the same name. The eight chapters of the book correspond to the eight episodes of the series, and are all interesting, accessible, chatty, thought-provoking, and well illustrated, with the best of the most recent photography from telescopes and space probes.Different WorldsBeginning with a discussion of planet hunters at the Lowell Observatory in the early part of this century (searching for Planet X, which turned out to be Pluto), the chapter introduces 'the family', all the planets of our solar system, the asteroids, comets, other local phenomena, and has a brief discussion of origin and formation issues (nebulae, supernovae, planetary evolution). MoonAs our nearest neighbour in space, the Moon has pride of place in mythology, space exploration, and in this presentation of extra-terrestrial worlds. It is amazing--the Earth is the only inner, rocky planet to have a substantial moon; this chapter discusses the space race and politics as well as science in earnest terms. The discussion of the astronauts a la The Right Stuff is always an interesting read. What is the future of the moon and humankind? Some speculation is here, with renewed interest, as the possibility of ice at the poles gives new life to lunar settlement ideas.Terra FirmaLooking at the worlds with hard surfaces (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars), the chapter on Terra Firma shows the diversity of worlds that occupy the space so close to us. Each has been explored numerous times by probes; Venus has for the first time in human history revealed more than a glorious morning/evening star light, as probes and sensors have finally been able to break through the cloud cover. Mars, of course, has always held a fascination for us, particularly after the 'discovery' of 'canals' on the surface; renewed interest in Mars has been propelling NASA efforts. Included in this chapter is a brief description of some of the moons of the outer planets (Europa, Triton) which would, if not tied to a gaseous giant planet, qualify as planets on their own.GiantsWithin the past few years, humankind has finally reached all of the major planets, all of the planets known to antiquity, and all but Pluto. Even with the most powerful of telescopes, these planets never appeared as much more than blobs, save for Saturn, with her enigmatic rings (which have turned out to be far more intricate than ever before imagined or believed possible). The probes to the outer worlds showed that all have rings of some sort; all have more moons than previously known (and than are probably still known). There are worlds to explore still in our own back yard, even as we search for planets around other stars. StarsBeginning, obviously, with our own sun, as the guiding physical force behind almost all in the solar system, the sun has variously been regarded as a god and a demon. Yet, for all its power and prominence, the ide

the whole planets

colorful book of the planets.. nice material to read and to review... fun and unique

A captivating introduction to our nearest neighbors in space

For those of you who are very serious about the science and theory behind the formation of our Solar System, go buy "The New Solar System" by Beatty et al. For the rest of us, there's "The Planets". In this book, McNab and Younger have melded science and narrative perfectly and have even made it accessible to the layman. Only those with no interest whatsoever in astronomy would dislike The Planets.With the exception of the Moon and Sun, the authors do not simply cover each of our neighbors chapter by chapter as do most books on the Solar System. Rather, The Planets focuses on specific themes and discusses the planets in the context of those themes. One chapter is devoted to the inner planets and attempts to explain why the Earth turned out so radically different from its rocky neighbors. Another focuses on the different atmospheres of the planets and the effects they have on surface conditions. Naturally, the potential for life on the planets is a separate topic as well.Accompanying the text are outstanding photographs taken by the robot spacecraft sent to the planets along with some artists' conceptions of localities that were inaccessible to the robots but perhaps one day will be. The visuals allow this book to double as a coffee table adornment! Also, integrated within the narrative are details of the various missions of exploration that taught us virtually everything we know today of the Solar System. One chapter documents the exciting "space race" between the US and Soviet Union in the 1960s that culminated in the manned lunar landings.I sell most non-reference books after reading them unless they contain outstanding visuals or are otherwise useful. Can you guess what I'm doing with this one? My rating should give you a hint!

Compelling and User-Friendly for Non-scientists

I have, in my life, read many books which I was unable to put down until I had read the whole thing. This had never happened with a non-fiction book until my son got The Planets for his birthday. It seemed rather old for him so I picked it up to check it out and began reading. Five hours later I was done and thirsty for more.The organization was unusual for a book about the solar system, not ordered by planet, but moving fluidly from topic to topic. The chapter about atmosphere was particularly thought-provoking. The details about the missions and probes which gathered all the information presented was fascinating. The greatest thing about this book was that the science was presented in a "user-friendly" fashion which was completely unintimidating.My son enjoyed the pictures and was intrigued by some of the abridged passages I read to him, but it's probably not for the under 10 set. I'm just glad my brother has such a high opinion of my son's intellectual capabilities or I might never have seen this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever looked up and wondered.

The Planets

I purchased this book after viewing the wonderful BBC series. It's impossible to avoid a sense of wonder and amazement at the beauty and majesty of the Solar System as presented here.The text is extremely entertaining and informative and the photographs and CGI illustrations are exceptional. I was hooked. The first hand interviews with the brilliant American and Russian scientists who pioneered human space exploration makes for compelling reading.The Planets re-awakened a sense of wonder about our Solar System and the mysterious worlds beyond.A total recommend, you will love this book.