Encyclopedia of the Solar System

Even before Galileo published his discoveries about Jupiter, lunar craters and the Milky Way, people were fascinated with the planets and stars around them. That interest continues today, and scientists are making new discoveries at an astounding rate. Ancient lake beds on Mars, robotic spacecraft missions and new definitions of planets now dominate the news. How can you take it all in? Start with the Encyclopedia of the Solar System.

This second edition follows the trail blazed by the bestselling first edition. It provides a framework for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system, historical discoveries and details about planetary bodies and how they interact. Offering more than 50 percent new material, the work includes the latest explorations and observations, and hundreds of new color images and illustrations. It stands alone as the definitive work in this field, and will serve as a modern messenger of scientific discovery and provide a look into the future of our solar system.