The Sun, Mercury, and Venus explores the innermost solar system and the importance of the Sun's energy on orbiting bodies. As the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is the least visited of terrestrial planets and is difficult to see because it is always close to the Sun from the Earth's perspective. This volume also covers the geological characteristics of Venus in relation to the Sun and the rest of the solar system.

Jupiter and Saturn examines what is known and still unknown about Jupiter 200 years into the development of telescopes and astronomy, as well as Saturn's interior structure, heat production, and magnetic field. This volume also explores the orbital movements of Jupiter in the solar system and its internal and external composition, movements, and temperatures, as well as Saturn's extensive ring system.

Mars discusses the fundamental facts concerning this mysterious planet, including its mass, size, and atmosphere, as well as the various missions that have helped planetary scientists document its geological history. This volume also describes Mars' seasons, including their surface effects on the planet and how they have changed over time, as well as what is known and inferred about the composition and structure of the interior of Mars.

Discusses the solar system bodies that are not one of the nine planets or their moons, including asteroids in the main asteroid belt as well as throughout the rest of the solar system, comets from both the Kuiper belt and from the much more distant Oort cloud, and the interplanetary dust left in their wakes. Also discussed are the discoveries of various asteroids, the nature of meteorites and impact craters, the orbits, sizes, and compositions of asteroids, along with the correlations scientists have made between meteorite classes and asteroids.

The moon is the only body in the solar system outside of the Earth that has been visited by humans. More than 440 pounds of lunar material are brought by NASA and Soviet space missions to Earth for study. The information gleaned about the moon from this relatively small pile of rocks is mind-boggling and stands as the greatest proof that Martian planetary science would be greatly enhanced by returning samples to Earth. Compositional studies of lunar rocks show that the moon and the Earth are made of similar material, and because lunar material has not been reworked through erosion and plate...

A multidisciplinary volume describing the effects of volcanism on the environment, past and present, for researchers and advanced students.