Exploring Mercury

Strom: Mercury How did Mercury get such an enormous iron core? Why is its tectonic framework so different from any other planet or satellite? What is its crystal composition? Why is the crust so depleted in iron when the interior is so rich in that element? What are the polar deposits? Where do the elements in the exosphere come from? Mercury is a planet shrouded in mystery. Only 45 percent of its surface has been seen in any detail, and that was from the Mariner 10 flyby in 1974. Yet what is known only makes the planet more fascinating. New Earth-based observations have shed light on surface and exosphere compositions, and re-evaluations of the Mariner 10 data, using modern image processing techniques, show evidence for volcanic flow fronts, pyroclastics and other volcanic phenomena not seen before. This ground-breaking book not only chronicles what has been discovered, but looks ahead to what has yet to emerge. An accompanying CD contains all the best Mariner 10 images, including the data for each image, photomosaics and maps.

From the reviews:

Praise for Robert G. Strom and Ann L. Sprague's, Exploring Mercury: The Iron Planet

Sky & Telescope

"You can bring yourself up to speed on all that astronomers know and still have yet to learn about Mercury in this comprehensive text, which starts with classical mythology and progresses through telescopic, radar and spacecraft scrutiny. The book is bundled with a CD-ROM filled with images from Mariner 10, the only spacecraft to date to have visited Mercury."

"This new book ... neatly summarises our present knowledge of this enigmatic world on the eve of a new revolution in Mercury studies. … The book also comes with an excellent CD-ROM containing an extensive set of the best Mariner 10 images, including large mosaics and maps. The book is worth getting for this alone." (Liftoff, Issue 220, March-April, 2004)

"For anyone interested in Mercury this is a very informative book on the subject. Beginning with the history of the planet from ancient observations to the earliest observations with telescopes and up to the present using the most modern equipment to study this elusive planet. … The book is accompanied by a CD-ROM which features all the best images from Mariner 10 including data from each image, photomosiacs and maps." (Lar Quigley, Astronomy & Space, March, 2005)

"With the Messenger Mercury probe en route Exploring Mercury, the latest book in the Springer Praxis Astronomy and Space Science series, is timely. It’s written by two planetary scientists and comprehensively reviews what is currently known about the tiny planet. … A nice touch – a CD-ROM is included containing over seven hundred of the best Mariner images and mosaics … . The book is technical but written so that an interested amateur can understand it without specialist knowledge." (GlenThomas, Astronomy Now, November, 2004)

"Exploring Mercury provides a very useful backdrop to the Messenger mission, forit succinctly summarises … about this enigmatic world. The book is profusely illustrated with diagrams, monochrome Mariner 10 pictures and a sprinkling of colour plates. Inside the back cover, by way of an added bonus, is a CD-ROM of the most detailed Mariner 10 images. … Exploring Mercury is a highly readable and most informative account of our current state of knowledge about this crater-scarred and metal-rich world … ." (Ron Toft, Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Vol. 114 (3), 2004)

"The book by Strom and Sprague concentrates on the state of our knowledge regarding the nearby, but elusive planet Mercury. ... This book presents a thorough review of what is known and looks ahead to future developments. It is an important contribution to the relatively limited literature regarding Mercury. An accompanying CD contains all the best Mariner 10 data with photo-mosaics and maps." (Noël Cramer, ORION, Vol. 62 (321), 2004)

"This is one of the few popular level books published solely about Mercury. It provides an interesting overview of visual telescopic observations. ... It has a useful appendix listing in alphabetical order, the names of all of Mercury’s craters and surface features … plus a comprehensive bibliography. … As a bonus, the book contains a CD with over 600 MB of Mariner 10 images, mosaics and maps … . This book is highly recommended … ." (Roger Feasey, AAS Journal, April, 2004)

"Robert Strom and Ann Sprague have published many papers on Mercury planetary science. They are more than just fans, they are world experts. In Exploring Mercury they have condensed all that is known to date about this enigmatic planet into a well-referenced, eminently readable, accessible, and superbly illustrated monograph. … Their enthusiasm is infectious. This book will rocket Mercury to the top of the ‘must visit next’ planet list." (David W. Hughes, The Observatory, Vol. 124 (1179), 2004)