Jupiter and Saturn
by Linda T Elkins-TantonEdition: Revised
Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 2010-10-01
Publisher(s): Facts on File
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Summary
The Solar System is a six-volume full-color set that explores the relationship between the Sun-the center of our solar system-and its orbiters, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, as well as asteroids, meteorites, and comets. Designed to complement science curricula, the books provide a detailed narrative of how the universe was formed and how each planet or celestial body relates to the rest of the solar system.
Author Biography
Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Ph.D., held a research position at Brown University and is currently on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she previously earned a doctorate in geology and geophysics. She is an expert on early planetary evolution, volcanic processes, and the connections between meteorite impacts, flood basalts, and global extinction events. She has published articles in many journals, including Science; Nature Geoscience; Geology, Earth, and Planetary Science Letters; Geophysical Research Letters; and The Journal of Geophysical Research.
Table of Contents
| Foreword | p. vi |
| Preface | p. ix |
| Acknowledgments | p. xiv |
| Introduction | p. xv |
| Jupiter | |
| Jupiter: Fast facts about a Planet in Orbit | p. 3 |
| Fundamental Information about Jupiter | p. 5 |
| What Makes Gravity? | p. 9 |
| The Interior of Jupiter | p. 21 |
| Materials, Temperatures, and Pressures | p. 21 |
| Elements and Isotopes | p. 23 |
| What Is Pressure? | p. 27 |
| Magnetic Field | p. 30 |
| Radio Noise | p. 36 |
| Jupiter's Surface Appearance and Conditions | p. 38 |
| Remote Sensing | p. 40 |
| Optical Depth | p. 53 |
| Changes in Jupiter's Surface within Human History: Storms | p. 56 |
| Changes in Jupiter's Surface within Human History: Comet Shoemaker-Levy | p. 59 |
| Jupiter's Rings and Moons | p. 54 |
| The Surprise of Jupiter's Rings | p. 64 |
| Jupiter's Moons | p. 67 |
| What Are Synchronous Orbits and Synchronous Rotation? | p. 72 |
| Moment of Inertia | p. 94 |
| Rheology, or How Solids Can Flow | p. 106 |
| Missions to Jupiter | p. 111 |
| Saturn | p. 117 |
| Saturn: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit | p. 119 |
| Fundamental Information about Saturn | p. 121 |
| Saturn's Interior: Composition and Magnetic Field | p. 127 |
| Structure, Temperature, Pressure | p. 127 |
| Internal Heat Production | p. 128 |
| Magnetic Field | p. 129 |
| Saturn's Surface Appearance and Conditions | p. 133 |
| Saturn's Rings and Moons | p. 138 |
| Rings | p. 138 |
| Why Are There Rings? | p. 144 |
| Saturn's Moons | p. 150 |
| Giovanni Cassini (1625-1712) | p. 152 |
| Fossa, Sulci, and Other Terms for Planetary Landforms | p. 170 |
| Stable Orbits for Small Bodies among Much Larger Planets | p. 176 |
| Missions to Saturn | p. 195 |
| An Environment for Life? Titan, Enceladus, and Europa | p. 199 |
| Requirements for Life | p. 199 |
| Atmospheric Composition of the Early Earth | p. 201 |
| Water in Liquid Form | p. 202 |
| Organic Matter and Energy | p. 202 |
| Heat in the Environment | p. 204 |
| How Common Are These Conditions in the Formation of Planets? | p. 205 |
| Mars as the Early Earth Analog | p. 206 |
| Super Earths in Other Solar Systems | p. 206 |
| Icy Moons in Our Solar System | p. 207 |
| Detecting Life on Other Planets and Moons | p. 208 |
| Titan | p. 210 |
| Atmospheric Composition | p. 210 |
| Liquid Surface Lakes | p. 211 |
| Enceladus | p. 212 |
| Europa | p. 214 |
| Questions for Future Research | p. 216 |
| Conclusions: The Known and the Unknown | p. 218 |
| Units and Measurements | p. 222 |
| Fundamental Units | p. 222 |
| Comparisons among Kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit | p. 225 |
| Useful Measures of Distance | p. 226 |
| Definitions for Electricity and Magnetism | p. 231 |
| Prefixes | p. 234 |
| Light, Wavelength, and Radiation | p. 235 |
| A List of All Known Moons | p. 245 |
| Glossary | p. 248 |
| Further Resources | p. 259 |
| Index | p. 266 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
Excerpts
Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in the solar system and the first two gas giant planets encountered when moving away from the Sun. They are both immensely complicated systems not unlike miniature solar systems on their own: Jupiter has 63 known moons and its own ring system, whereas Saturn is famous for its rings and 62 known moons. Astronomers are finding with some regularity new, distant moons orbiting each of these planets, so their number of known satellites continues to grow.
Jupiter and Saturn, Revised Edition presents comprehensive and up-to-date information on these two fascinating planets in our solar system. Divided in two parts, this full-color resource discusses how these planets were discovered, basic data on the planets, new observations and current research findings, and much more.
Chapters include:
Jupiter: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit
The Interior of Jupiter
Jupiter's Surface Appearance and Conditions
Jupiter's Rings and Moons
Missions to Jupiter
Saturn: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit
Saturn's Interior: Composition and Magnetic Field
Saturn's Surface Appearance and Conditions
Saturn's Rings and Moons
Missions to Saturn
An Environment for Life? Titan, Enceladus, and Europa
Conclusions: The Known and Unknown.
Jupiter and Saturn, Revised Edition presents comprehensive and up-to-date information on these two fascinating planets in our solar system. Divided in two parts, this full-color resource discusses how these planets were discovered, basic data on the planets, new observations and current research findings, and much more.
Chapters include:
Jupiter: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit
The Interior of Jupiter
Jupiter's Surface Appearance and Conditions
Jupiter's Rings and Moons
Missions to Jupiter
Saturn: Fast Facts about a Planet in Orbit
Saturn's Interior: Composition and Magnetic Field
Saturn's Surface Appearance and Conditions
Saturn's Rings and Moons
Missions to Saturn
An Environment for Life? Titan, Enceladus, and Europa
Conclusions: The Known and Unknown.
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