Solar System

Find out how our planet came to be, why it rotates even as it spins around the Sun, and what unique characteristics allow life to flourish here. Then take a tour around the Moon, our nearest orbiting neighbor. From pole to pole and everything in between, this book is your guide to Earths place in space. Everything we see, every breath we take, every part of life is tied to Earths special place in the Solar System. Inside, discover why that is true. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

At the distant edges of the Solar System are planets Neptune and Uranus, dwarf planets such as Pluto, and other orbiting bodies. This book includes the latest discoveries about all these far-off objects, including the first close-up pictures taken of Pluto. What are these worlds like that live so far from the heat of the sun? How were they formed? Why is Neptune blue? And why did Pluto lose its place as a planet? The mysteries of these far-off worlds are all revealed inside. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

Though comets only visit our part of the Solar System periodically, they, too, are among the celestial bodies that orbit the Sun. Find out more about their incredible journeys through space and how they came to be. Plus, read about meteors, the flying bodies of rock and ice that smash into planets throughout the Solar System. See how they have affected the shape and formation of planets, and how Earth is preparing to watch for their approach. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

How do we explore our neighborhood in space? Find out inside as we look back (and forward) at how human beings have used science, technology, innovation, and courage to find out "whats out there." From the first satellites through the Apollo and space shuttle programs to the discoveries of the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope, take a rocket ride through the history of how we explore the Solar System and much more. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond! The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

Get to know Earth's planetary neighbors with a tour of Mercury and Venus, the two planets closest to the Sun, as well as Mars, the planet closest to Earth. Experience the intense heat of Mercury. Dive deep into the misty atmosphere on Venus. And wonder along with scientists if and when Mars has supported life. Amazing images from NASA satellites show the latest discoveries about our fellow planets. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

Two planets stand out in the Solar System from among the group of eight. Saturn boasts unique rings of orbiting debris, while Jupiter is as big as all the other planets combined. This book takes an up-close look at these two amazing worlds, from diving into Saturn's rings to exploring Jupiter's giant red storm cloud. Visit the moons of these planets, and find out how human exploration has revealed these once-mysterious places. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

Peering through a telescope, you are likely to encounter a host of celestial bodies-anything from another planet to a comet-speckling the night sky. Careful observation has shown that while each object follows a unique orbit or trajectory, these entities also share numerous qualities and together provide critical information about space and the universe as a whole. This engaging volume surveys the characteristics of the diverse objects that make up the solar system as well as their distinguishing features.

Despite their proximity to Earth, much remains to be learned about the origins and conditions of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. The three smallest planets in our solar system and the three closest to the Sun-Mercury, Venus, and Mars-differ greatly from each other and from the place we call home. This far-reaching volume travels to each of the inner planets in turn and details the physical characteristics as well as the exploration efforts made in order to learn more about our closest planetary neighbors.

Most avid sky gazers wait until nightfall to catch a glimpse of the stars that are scattered across the heavens. The fact of the matter is that one needs only to feel the Sun's rays in order to experience the presence of a star. The Sun is an ordinary star, a ball of hot gas much like millions of others in the universe, but as the center of the solar system, it is critical to the survival of all life forms on Earth. This comprehensive volume examines the nature of the Sun and details the properties and types of various stars, as well as the greater galaxies of which they are a part.

As our ability to observe space improves with ever-progressing technology, we better grasp the farthest reaches of the cosmos and heighten our understanding of the universe in its entirety. Spacecraft exploration of the outermost planets in our solar system-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-reveals many features of these seemingly harsh environments and moves us closer to comprehending the origins of our own planet as well as others. This insightful volume examines the characteristics of these remote planets and the paths they illuminate in our quest for celestial knowledge.

The story of the Solar System starts in the center; it starts with the Sun. Blazing with intense heat, the Sun is literally the source of life on our planetas well as the center of the entire Solar System. Inside, explore this incredible star. Find out how it was formed, why it continues to burn, how solar flares affect our lives, and how it compares to others stars. The entire series called THE SOLAR SYSTEM is your first-class travel guide to the biggest neighborhood you live in, from the Sun to the planets and beyond!

Routinely going through daily life, people may be inured to the fact that Earth takes up only a small fraction of a solar system, let alone the universe. Still, the planet we call home is unique for a number of reasons. The more we can learn about Earth and its Moon-the two bodies in the solar system of which the most has been discovered to date-the more likely scientists are to uncover truths about the universe as a whole. The properties, motions, and cycles that characterize the Earth and Moon are the subjects of this mesmerizing volume, supported with details, sidebars, and labeled illustrations that any earthling would love.

Fathoming the boundlessness of space and the universe, we are immediately filled with curiosity about our own origins and wonder about the objects, life forms, and matter that populate the cosmos. Through the observations and work of astronomers over time, we have slowly been able to reduce the number of unknowns and develop explanations or theories for some of the celestial objects and phenomena we see. This space-traveling survey recounts some of the major discovery milestones in the field of astronomy and examines the tools and techniques currently used by astronomers to study the universe.

Now updated with the journeys of the 2012 Mars rover Curiosity and the 2020 Mars rover Perseverance, Solar System undertakes an astonishing visual journey through time and space through fascinating text, original graphics, and stunning photographs. Never before have the wonders of our solar system been so immediately accessible to readers of all ages. Award—winning writer and broadcaster Marcus Chown combines science and history to visually and narratively explore our neighboring planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets and more, as well as the historical figures who aided in their discoveries. From the explosive surface of the sun to the new missions on Mars; from the gargantuan rings of Saturn to the volcanoes of Io; from the latest images of Pluto from NASA's New Horizons probe, to a simulation of what the Oort Cloud might look like, Solar System offers a window seat from which to view the beauty and magnificence of space.