Moons of the Solar System

Moons of the Solar System
Author: James A. Hall III
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 318
Release: 2015-09-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319206362

This book captures the complex world of planetary moons, which are more diverse than Earth's sole satellite might lead you to believe. New missions continue to find more of these planetary satellites, making an up to date guide more necessary than ever. Why do Mercury and Venus have no moons at all? Earth's Moon, of course, is covered in the book with highly detailed maps. Then we move outward to the moons of Mars, then on to many of the more notable asteroid moons, and finally to a list of less-notable ones. All the major moons of the gas giant planets are covered in great detail, while the lesser-known satellites of these worlds are also touched on. Readers will learn of the remarkable trans-Neptunian Objects – Pluto, Eris, Sedna, Quaoar –including many of those that have been given scant attention in the literature. More than just objects to read about, the planets' satellites provide us with important information about the history of the solar system. Projects to help us learn more about the moons are included throughout the book. Most amateur astronomers can name some of the more prominent moons in the solar system, but few are intimately familiar with the full variety that exists in our backyard: 146 and counting. As our understanding of the many bodies in our solar system broadens, this is an invaluable tour of our expanding knowledge of the moons both near and far.

Natural Satellites

Natural Satellites
Author: Ron Miller
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books ™
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2021-04-06
Genre: Young Adult Nonfiction
ISBN: 1728427495

For centuries, astronomers have placed a special interest on the other planets of the solar system. But with the advent of spacecraft and the tremendous missions undertaken by the Voyager and Cassini probes, astronomers have discovered that the natural satellites of the planets—the solar system's moons—are some of the most extraordinary places imaginable. There are moons with towering geysers, erupting volcanoes, and subterranean oceans of warm, mineral-rich water. Some of the highest mountains and deepest canyons can be found on the moons. There are moons that have shattered into pieces and then reassembled. There is even a moon where it rains rocket fuel. Recently, scientists have turned to the moons for answers in their investigations of the origins of the solar system and the evolution of life on our own planet. Featuring full-color, scientifically accurate illustrations by NASA artist Ron Miller, Natural Satellites: The Book of Moons chronicles these investigations and the questions we have yet to answer in our exploration of the solar system's moons.

Moons of the Solar System, Revised Second Edition

Moons of the Solar System, Revised Second Edition
Author: Thomas Wm. Hamilton
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency
Total Pages: 80
Release: 2019
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1949483223

Retired astronomer Thomas Wm. Hamilton has written six books on astronomy. But science always changes. His most recent book, Moons of the Solar System, has just been revised to incorporate the newest research and information on these amazing bodies in the sky. The new title is Moons of the Solar System, Revised Second Edition: Incorporating the Latest Discoveries in Our Solar System as well as Suspected Exomoons. Having once worked on the Apollo Project, the author has long been fascinated in studying moons. From Galileo’s discoveries in 1610, to the latest returns from the Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, four centuries of discoveries in the solar system are summarized, complete with the names of those responsible for finding them. The 185 known moons of the planets and dwarf planets in the solar system are described in great detail, from how they were discovered, and by whom, to information about their sizes and orbits. The strange and exotic origins of the moons’ names make for astonishing stories. Moons of the Solar System also includes the possible dangers faced by human travel in space.

When the Earth Had Two Moons

When the Earth Had Two Moons
Author: Erik Asphaug
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2019-10-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0062657941

An astonishing exploration of planet formation and the origins of life by one of the world’s most innovative planetary geologists. In 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 3 took the first photos of the far side of the moon. Even in their poor resolution, the images stunned scientists: the far side is an enormous mountainous expanse, not the vast lava-plains seen from Earth. Subsequent missions have confirmed this in much greater detail. How could this be, and what might it tell us about our own place in the universe? As it turns out, quite a lot. Fourteen billion years ago, the universe exploded into being, creating galaxies and stars. Planets formed out of the leftover dust and gas that coalesced into larger and larger bodies orbiting around each star. In a sort of heavenly survival of the fittest, planetary bodies smashed into each other until solar systems emerged. Curiously, instead of being relatively similar in terms of composition, the planets in our solar system, and the comets, asteroids, satellites and rings, are bewitchingly distinct. So, too, the halves of our moon. In When the Earth Had Two Moons, esteemed planetary geologist Erik Asphaug takes us on an exhilarating tour through the farthest reaches of time and our galaxy to find out why. Beautifully written and provocatively argued, When the Earth Had Two Moons is not only a mind-blowing astronomical tour but a profound inquiry into the nature of life here—and billions of miles from home.

Our Solar System

Our Solar System
Author: Lisa Reichley
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2020-10-20
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1647399149

Suit up for an expedition into the mysteries of our amazing solar system and beyond The universe is huge. With more than 100 billion galaxies and billions of orbiting astronomical bodies, there's so much to learn. Rocket through the cosmos, and discover everything there is to know about our exciting and mysterious solar system! From the bright, burning sun to the icy Kuiper Belt, this easy reference guide is packed with fascinating facts about the terrestrial planets, gas giants, and dwarf planets, plus other orbiting astronomical bodies such as satellites and asteroids. Then, explore further into the unknown as you learn about mysterious bodies such as comets and clouds, and how much more we have to discover! Our Solar System includes: Fact-filled flight—Learn all about the astronomical bodies in our solar system with profiles covering size, distance from the sun, the length of each year, and more. Tiny but mighty—Enjoy a detailed look at the smaller bodies in our solar system such as dwarf planets, satellites, asteroids, and the objects in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud. Out-of-this-world photos—Get up close and personal with real, vibrant photos of our very special solar system. Rocket through the cosmos and explore the many mysteries of our magnificent solar system!

Mercury and Venus

Mercury and Venus
Author: Mellonee Carrigan
Publisher: World Book
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2020
Genre: Mercury (Planet)
ISBN: 9780716680604

""Presents facts about the composition, atmosphere, and history of exploration of Mercury and Venus and features large illustrations and photographs."-Provided by publisher"--

Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn

Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn
Author: Paul M. Schenk
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Total Pages: 535
Release: 2018-11-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0816537070

With active geysers coating its surface with dazzlingly bright ice crystals, Saturn’s large moon Enceladus is one of the most enigmatic worlds in our solar system. Underlying this activity are numerous further discoveries by the Cassini spacecraft, tantalizing us with evidence that Enceladus harbors a subsurface ocean of liquid water. Enceladus is thus newly realized as a forefront candidate among potentially habitable ocean worlds in our own solar system, although it is only one of a family of icy moons orbiting the giant ringed planet, each with its own story. As a new volume in the Space Science Series, Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn brings together nearly eighty of the world’s top experts writing more than twenty chapters to set the foundation for what we currently understand, while building the framework for the highest-priority questions to be addressed through ongoing spacecraft exploration. Topics include the physics and processes driving the geologic and geophysical phenomena of icy worlds, including, but not limited to, ring-moon interactions, interior melting due to tidal heating, ejection and reaccretion of vapor and particulates, ice tectonics, and cryovolcanism. By contextualizing each topic within the profusion of puzzles beckoning from among Saturn’s many dozen moons, Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn synthesizes planetary processes on a broad scale to inform and propel both seasoned researchers and students toward achieving new advances in the coming decade and beyond.

Forging the Future of Space Science

Forging the Future of Space Science
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2010-03-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309215897

From September 2007 to June 2008 the Space Studies Board conducted an international public seminar series, with each monthly talk highlighting a different topic in space and Earth science. The principal lectures from the series are compiled in Forging the Future of Space Science. The topics of these events covered the full spectrum of space and Earth science research, from global climate change, to the cosmic origins of life, to the exploration of the Moon and Mars, to the scientific research required to support human spaceflight. The prevailing messages throughout the seminar series as demonstrated by the lectures in this book are how much we have accomplished over the past 50 years, how profound are our discoveries, how much contributions from the space program affect our daily lives, and yet how much remains to be done. The age of discovery in space and Earth science is just beginning. Opportunities abound that will forever alter our destiny.

Alien Oceans

Alien Oceans
Author: Kevin Hand
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2021-09-21
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0691227284

Inside the epic quest to find life on the water-rich moons at the outer reaches of the solar system Where is the best place to find life beyond Earth? We often look to Mars as the most promising site in our solar system, but recent scientific missions have revealed that some of the most habitable real estate may actually lie farther away. Beneath the frozen crusts of several of the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn lurk vast oceans that may have existed for as long as Earth, and together may contain more than fifty times its total volume of liquid water. Could there be organisms living in their depths? Alien Oceans reveals the science behind the thrilling quest to find out. Kevin Peter Hand is one of today's leading NASA scientists, and his pioneering research has taken him on expeditions around the world. In this captivating account of scientific discovery, he brings together insights from planetary science, biology, and the adventures of scientists like himself to explain how we know that oceans exist within moons of the outer solar system, like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. He shows how the exploration of Earth's oceans is informing our understanding of the potential habitability of these icy moons, and draws lessons from what we have learned about the origins of life on our own planet to consider how life could arise on these distant worlds. Alien Oceans describes what lies ahead in our search for life in our solar system and beyond, setting the stage for the transformative discoveries that may await us.