Takes readers on an interplanetary tour from the sun to the ever-mysterious Mars, and then, thanks to the Voyager missions, to the planets beyond.

Beginning with an overview and then organized by planet, in order of its distance from the sun, "Solar System" takes us on a trip across time and space that includes a front-row seat to the explosive birth of the solar system, a journey to (and then deep inside) each of its eight planets, and even an in-depth exploration of asteroids and comets.

Offers a detailed look at the heavenly bodies that make up our solar system using all-new 3-D models from NASA and the European Space Agency as well as a timeline of all major space missions.

Comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants. This book tells the story of these enigmatic celestial objects, revealing how scientists are using them to help understand a crucial time in our history--the birth of the Solar System, and everything contained within it.

"We have the impression that the solar system is perfectly regular like a clock, or a planetarium instrument. On a short timescale it is. But, seen in a longer perspective, the planets, and their satellites, have exciting lives, full of events - for example, did you know that Saturn's moon, Titan, boasts lakes which contain liquid methane surrounded by soaring hills and valleys, exactly as the earth did before life evolved on our fragile planet? Or...

Volume packed full of information that illuminates key astronomical concepts along side the history and legends surrounding the stars and planets.

In this guided tour of our planetary neighborhood, the Milky Way and other galaxies, and beyond, detailed maps and fascinating imagery from recent space missions partner with clear, authoritative scientific information. Starting with the sun and moving outward into space, acclaimed science writer and physicist James Trefil illuminates each planet, the most important moons, significant asteroids, and other objects in our solar system. Looking beyond,...

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed--made obsolete--when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate. What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and...

"Journey through space into the farthest reaches of our Solar System. Guided by astronauts and expert space engineers, learn all about the planets, how they formed, and how scientists study them."--