Atlas of Uranus [Hardcover]

Garry E. Hunt (Author), Patrick Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1989

Uranus is the most distant planet in the solar system yet to be visited by a spacecraft from Earth. Unknown to ancient astronomers, the planet was revealed to us only through the development of the telescope and the observations of Herschel. The flyby of Uranus in January 1986 by the NASA Voyager 2 spacecraft has provided us with astonishing new information on this planet, its rings, satellites, and surrounding environment. The first book to provide a complete look at the best of Voyager 2's photographs of Uranus from its January 1986 mission, the Atlas of Uranus presents a comprehensive historical background to the discovery of Uranus along with its satellites and rings. The book then gives details of the Voyager mission, allowing the reader to share in the quantum leap in our understanding of the new Uranian environment that has emerged from the Voyager encounter.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is much more than an atlas; it is an annotated atlas that blends graphs, photographs, and illustrations with clear and historical text." Science Books and Films

"This book is an interesting combination of history and the latest data on Uranus." Choice

"This is a relatively short book, but it is well worth the modest price." --Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

"...you can't do better than this book for a good Uranus update." Quarterly Review of Biology

"In all, the text is well-written for a general audience, interesting, and informative. The collection of all historical and up-to-date scientific information on one planetary system into one volume makes this a nice addition to any planetary library." Anne J. Verbiscer, Icarus

Book Description

A comprehensive historical background to the discovery of Uranus and its satellites and rings is also presented by the first work to provide a complete view of the best of Voyager 2's Jan. 1986 mission photographs of the planet.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; annotated edition edition (March 31, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521343232
• ISBN-13: 978-0521343237
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,701,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars *The* book on Uranus, October 15, 2000

By 

D. Sinclair - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atlas of Uranus (Hardcover)

When Voyager 2 flew by Uranus in January 1986, our knowledge of this mysterious world expanded immeasurably. New minor satellites were found, and high-quality images of the already existing ones were obtained. One satellite in particular - Miranda - surprised the astronomical world with terrain of a kind that had never been seen before, or imagined. It was time for another installment in Hunt and Moore's "Atlas of" series.

For those who own the "Atlas of Jupiter" and "Atlas of Saturn", the thinness of this book might be disappointing at first. Where the first two atlases dispense a wealth of information, theories and pictures on Jupiter and Saturn, the third one predictably cannot do so, based on the results of only one robotic encounter as compared to several.

Within these limits, the "Atlas of Uranus" gives as complete a picture as possible. It features spectacular, full-page reproductions of the images taken by Voyager 2, a technical discussion of the spacecraft itself, and a historical overview of the discovery and subsequent telescopic exploration of Uranus. I can fully recommend this book to any amateur astronomer or other interested layperson.