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  • © 2016

Moons of the Solar System

From Giant Ganymede to Dainty Dactyl

Authors:

  • Introduces every moon, including Earth's Moon and the recently discovered Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), that is currently known in the solar system, not just the bigger, more well-known ones
  • Contains helpful project suggestions for observing the various moons of other planets
  • Offers an extensive gallery of photos of planetary moons

Part of the book series: Astronomers' Universe (ASTRONOM)

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Table of contents (14 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxviii
  2. Moons

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Mercury and Venus

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 3-6
    3. Earth and Luna

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 7-57
    4. Mars

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 59-68
    5. The Asteroid Belt

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 69-80
    6. Jupiter

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 81-104
    7. Saturn

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 105-148
    8. Uranus

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 149-170
    9. Neptune

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 171-184
    10. Distant Minor Planets

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 185-196
  3. Projects

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 197-197
    2. Logging/Blogging

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 199-202
    3. c: The Speed of Light

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 203-209
    4. Telescopic Moon Targets

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 211-215
    5. Life on Moon Worlds

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 217-223
    6. Citizen Science

      • James A. Hall III
      Pages 225-229
  4. Back Matter

    Pages 231-297

About this book

This book captures the complex world of planetary moons, which are more diverse than Earth's sole satellite might lead you to believe. New missions continue to find more of these planetary satellites, making an up to date guide more necessary than ever. Why do Mercury and Venus have no moons at all? Earth's  Moon, of course, is covered in the book with highly detailed maps. Then we move outward to the moons of Mars, then on to many of the more notable asteroid moons, and finally to a list of less-notable ones.

All the major moons of the gas giant planets are covered in great detail, while the lesser-known satellites of these worlds are also touched on. Readers will learn of the remarkable trans-Neptunian Objects – Pluto, Eris, Sedna, Quaoar –including many of those that have been given scant attention in the literature. More than just objects to read about, the planets' satellites provide us with important information about the history of the solar system. Projects to help us learn more about the moons are included throughout the book. Most amateur astronomers can name some of the more prominent moons in the solar system, but few are intimately familiar with the full variety that exists in our backyard: 146 and counting. As our understanding of the many bodies in our solar system broadens, this is an invaluable tour of our expanding knowledge of the moons both near and far.

Reviews

“Hall provides a travel guide for the many worlds out in the solar system. … The book also contains suggestions for observing projects and ‘homework problems’ that any interested person can do. … it is a good reference, worthy of any space enthusiast’s bookshelf. … Summing Up: Recommended. All library collections.” (T. D. Oswalt, Choice, Vol. 53 (8), April, 2016)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Crystal River, USA

    James A. Hall III

About the author

James A. Hall III holds an AA in Liberal Arts from Central Florida College, and a BA in English in Creative Writing (and a minor in Theatre) from the University of South Florida. He earned his MA in Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. Hall is the author of The Distant Suns and The Yesterday with No Tomorrow and has written six planetarium shows for the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Moons of the Solar System

  • Book Subtitle: From Giant Ganymede to Dainty Dactyl

  • Authors: James A. Hall III

  • Series Title: Astronomers' Universe

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20636-3

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-20635-6Published: 30 September 2015

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-20636-3Published: 19 September 2015

  • Series ISSN: 1614-659X

  • Series E-ISSN: 2197-6651

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXVIII, 297

  • Number of Illustrations: 76 b/w illustrations, 57 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Popular Science in Astronomy, Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Planetology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 34.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access