Destiny Or Chance: Our Solar System and Its Place in the CosmosCambridge University Press, 25 de out. de 2000 - 229 páginas Written by a leading planetary scientist, this engaging book tells the remarkable story of how our solar system came into existence and provides an expert tour of the Earth, its planetary neighbors and other planetary systems. In a whirlwind adventure, we explore how the formation of mighty Jupiter dominated the solar system, why Mars is so small, where comets come from, how rings form around planets, why asteroids exist and why Pluto isn't a planet at all. En route, we discover the role of chance events in shaping the course of the history of our solar system. Dramatic collisions, for example, caused the tilts and spins of the planets, the extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of man. Finally, we look at how suitable Earth is for harboring life, what other planetary systems look like and whether we are alone in the cosmos. For all those interested in understanding our solar system and its place in the cosmos, this is a lucid and compelling read. Stuart Taylor is the recipient of numerous academic awards, including the Norman L. Bowen Award from the American Geophysical Union for his important contributions to our understanding of the origins and early history of the Earth and Moon. In 1997, Asteroid 5670 was named Rosstaylor in his honor. He is the author of Solar System Evolution (Cambridge, 1992). |
Conteúdo
I | xi |
II | xvii |
III | xix |
IV | 1 |
V | 2 |
VI | 29 |
VII | 39 |
VIII | 49 |
XV | 104 |
XVI | 111 |
XVII | 118 |
XVIII | 127 |
XXI | 134 |
XXII | 147 |
XXIII | 161 |
XXIV | 169 |
Outras edições - Ver todos
Destiny Or Chance: Our Solar System and Its Place in the Cosmos Stuart Ross Taylor Visualização parcial - 2000 |
Destiny Or Chance: Our Solar System and Its Place in the Cosmos Stuart Ross Taylor Prévia não disponível - 1998 |
Termos e frases comuns
anthropic principle appear asteroid belt astronomers atmosphere basaltic basins Big Bang bits bodies bombardment brown dwarfs captured carbon cent chance events collisions Comet Halley composition condensed contrast core crust dark density dinosaurs discovered disk distance early Earth eccentric orbit evidence evolution example existence extinction Figure formation formed galaxies Ganymede gas and dust gas giants geological giant planets Halley helium Homo sapiens impact craters inner planets inner solar system iron Jupiter and Saturn kilometres kilometres in diameter Laplace look lunar Mars mass massive material melted Mercury meteorites metres million years ago Moon Neptune observed oceans Oort Cloud orbit origin outer perhaps planetary systems planetesimals Pluto present primitive probably problem produce rings rock rocky mantle rotating samples satellites seems solar nebula solar system space species spin surface swept temperature terrestrial tilts tiny Triton unique universe Uranus and Neptune Venus volcanic