Description
Book SynopsisProving to be both varied and fascinating, moons are far more common than planets in our Solar System. Our own Moon has had a profound influence on Earth, not only through tidal effects, but even on the behaviour of some marine animals. Many remarkable things have been discovered about the moons of the giant outer planets from Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, and other spacecraft. Scientists have glimpsed volcanic activity on Io, found oceans of water on Titan, and captured photos of icy geysers bursting from Enceladus. It looks likely that microbial life beyond the Earth may be discovered on a moon rather than a planet.In this Very Short Introduction David Rothery introduces the reader to the moons of our Solar System, beginning with the early discoveries of Galileo and others, describing their variety of mostly mythological names, and the early use of Jupiter''s moons to establish position at sea and to estimate the speed of light. Rothery discusses the structure, formation, and influence
Trade Reviewan excellent introduction to Moons in a genuinely pocket-sized book that won't break the bank. * Astronomy Now *
delightful * Lewis Dartnell, BBC Sky at Night *
A highly readable and informative book. * Network Reviews *
This small, densely packed paperback is a fantastic starting point for those interested in learning more about the 190 or so moons found within our solar system. Not merely a book of tables and facts about these celestial bodies, Moons covers the rich history of exploration and discovery along with the ideas that were shaped and moulded by astronomers across the ages. * Geoscientist *
Table of Contents1. The discovery and significance of moons ; 2. The Moon ; 3. The Moon's influence on us ; 4. The moons of giant planets ; 5. Giant planet regular satellites in close up ; 6. The moons of Mars - captured asteroids ; 7. Moons of small bodies ; 8. Moons in other planetary systems: exomoons ; Further Reading ; Index
