Planets: A Very Short Introduction

David A. Rothery

Very Short Introductions

Provides an overview of our Solar System and its origins, nature, and evolution
Considers controversial issues, such as what qualifies as a planet
Looks at different types of Solar System objects, such as asteroids, Trans-Neptunian objects, and exoplanets
Demonstrates the excitement, uncertainties, and challenges faced by planetary scientists

Planets: A Very Short Introduction

David A. Rothery

Description

From the rings of Saturn to the "canals" of Mars and the Great Red Dot of Jupiter, the planets of our Solar System have long fascinated humanity. Featuring many striking photos, this Very Short Introduction offers a fascinating portrait of the unique world of each planet as well as an illuminating discussion of moons, asteroids, and Trans-Neptunian objects. Leading planetary scientist David A. Rothery, who has chaired the European Space Agency's Mercury surface and composition working group since 2007, gives a stimulating overview of the origin, nature, and evolution of our Solar System, including the controversial issues of what qualifies as a planet, and what conditions are required for a planetary body to support life. He explains how the surfaces of planets and moons have been sculpted by geology, weather, and impacts by meteors and asteroids. Rothery shows how our knowledge has advanced over the centuries, and how it has expanded at a dramatic rate in recent years, going far beyond our Solar System to explore planets orbiting distant stars.

Planets: A Very Short Introduction

David A. Rothery

Very Short Introductions

Planets: A Very Short Introduction

David A. Rothery

Very Short Introductions

Author Information

Dr David Rothery became interested in astronomy as a schoolboy, and took a degree in geology at Cambridge University. He went on to a career in geological remote sensing at the Open University, where is now a senior lecturer chairing planetary science courses and doing research in volanology and planetary science. He has been involved in various lunar and martian missions, and is now lead scientist for an X-ray spectrometer to be flown to Mercury on the BepiColombo spacecraft, and has chaired the European Space Agency's Mercury surface and composition working group since 2007.

Planets: A Very Short Introduction

David A. Rothery

Very Short Introductions

From Our Blog

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The discovery of water on Mars has been claimed so often that I'd forgive anyone for being skeptical about the latest announcement. Frozen water, ice, has been proven on Mars in many places, there are lots of ancient canyons hundreds of kilometres long that must have been carved by rivers, and much smaller gullies that are evidently much younger.

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Are we alone in the Universe?

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Is there life on Mars?

I've seen proud posts on the internet from people who saw five planets with the naked eye this spring. Venus and Jupiter could hardly be missed in the west after sunset, though Mercury was more elusive as it never strays very far from the Sun and is smaller and fainter. Later in the evening Mars and then Saturn have been rising high in the east. That's a 'full house', comprising all five of the planets recognised by the ancients. Being a geologist, I usually insist on claiming that a sixth planet is easily visible too...

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Planets: A Very Short Introduction

David A. Rothery

Very Short Introductions

Reading Guide

This Very Short Introduction discusses the nature of planets, gas giants, and their rings and moons. It also looks beyond Pluto, in the Kuiper Belt, at the knowledge we have about planets around other stars. With many striking photos to illustrate the details, it demonstrates the unique world of every planet

PDF download Download this VSI Reading Guide as an Adobe PDF (28 KB)

Questions for Thought and Discussion

Have you ever seen a planet through a telescope? What impression did it make on you?
Bearing in mind that it is not a simple issue, how would you define the term ‘planet’?
Do you think the International Astronomical Union made the right decision in 2006 when it stripped Pluto of its status as a planet?
If you had to choose between funding for competing (unmanned) missions to objects in our Solar System, which of these would be your top priority, and why?
1. A fly-by of Eris, the largest known Kuiper belt object.
2. A robotic Mars rover, equipped with more sensitive instruments than previously.
3. A probe to land on the surface of Europa.
4. A probe to return a sample of an asteroid to Earth.
What would be your second choice, and why?
Is there a mission not on this list that you would like to add? If so, where should it go, and what should its aims be?
Galileo was imprisoned for propounding what we now know to be a correct description of the Solar System. What areas of scientific advocacy could lead to a scientist being persecuted by state or religious authorities in today’s world?
What are the most significant differences between the giant planets and the terrestrial planets?
In what ways does ice elsewhere in the Solar System differ from ice on Earth?
If Jupiter had never existed, in what ways would our Solar System be different?
Could the Earth ever end up like Venus?
Which nation will be the next to land humans on the Moon? Is it important who does it?
Would you approve of ‘terraforming’ Mars so that humans could live there?
What attributes of the planet Mercury make it an important target for scientific investigation? Why do the Earth and Io have active volcanoes, but not the Moon or Mars?
Can you suggest a suitable way to define the upper limit of a planet’s atmosphere?
Can you suggest a suitable way to define the base of a giant planet’s atmosphere?
Can you describe several different methods by which a planet can acquire a satellite?
What would be the scientific and cultural implications of (i) the discovery of microbial life on Mars? (ii) the discovery of microbial life on an exoplanet? (iii) the discovery of intelligent life on an exoplanet?

Other books by David Rothery

Rothery, D. A. Satellites of the Outer Planets (Oxford Unversity Press, 2nd edition 1999)
Rothery, D. A. (4th edition), Geology, Teach Yourself Series (Hodder & Stoughton Educational, 2010)
Rothery, D. A., (2nd edition), Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, Teach Yourself Series (Hodder & Stoughton Educational, 2010)
Rothery, D. A., (2nd edition), Planets, Teach Yourself Series (Hodder & Stoughton Educational, 2003)