Solar System Evolution: A New Perspective

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Sep 6, 2001 - Science - 460 pages
This completely rewritten new edition begins with a historical perspective of the place of the solar system in the universe. Evidence from meteorites is used to describe how the planets were formed and the giant planets are considered in the light of the discovery of new extrasolar giants. Other chapters discuss satellites, comets, centaurs, asteroids and why Pluto is not a planet. Explanations on why Earth and Venus turned out so differently, and how Mars and Mercury are the survivors of many similar bodies, are also discussed.

From inside the book

Contents

A brief history
1
The universe
17
Stars
29
The solar nebula
47
Composition and chemical evolution of the solar
73
The evidence from meteorites
105
Building planets
163
The giant planets
197
The refugees
263
Mercury and Mars
301
Venus and the Earth
331
The Moon
369
The role of impacts
401
on the difficulty of making Earthlike
431
Name index
445
Subject index
452

Satellites and rings
223

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2001)

Ross Taylor took degrees in chemistry and geology. He is Emeritus Professor and Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Bibliographic information