Planetary Mapping describes the history and process of mapping planets and satellites beyond the Earth. Mapping planetary bodies is a unique process much different from ordinary terrestrial cartography. The book begins with an introduction to the differences between terrestrial and planetary mapping and continues with a general discussion of the history of planetary mapping. The fundamentals of cartographic techniques are described in detail, and appendixes on map formats and projects, halftone processes for planetary maps, and available mission data are also included. The general language...

Planets have excited the minds of man since prehistory. In our own time planetary science has become a rapidly developing area of astronomical research, as the instruments carried by spacecraft have vastly increased our knowledge of planetary surfaces and interiors. the rocky planets of the inner solar system bear countless craters, scars of their encounters with innumerable meteorites, although the active surface of the earth has contrived to erase these features from our own planet. The outer giants, particularly Jupiter, have vigorous atmospheres, while Io, a satellite of Jupiter, has...