Celestial Mechanics: The Waltz of the Planets (Springer Praxis Books / Popular Astronomy) [Paperback]

Alessandra Celletti (Author), Ettore Perozzi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 038730777X | ISBN-13: 978-0387307770 | Publication Date: February 6, 2010 | Edition: 1

The aim of this book is to demonstrate to a wider audience, as well as to a more skilled audience, the many fascinating aspects of modern celestial mechanics. It sets out to do this without the use of mathematics. After giving the reader the technical tools needed for a basic understanding of the underlying physical phenomena (using only elementary mathematics), facts and figures are provided on historical events, modern discoveries and future applications. Contents are divided into major topics where the three "souls" of modern celestial mechanics (dynamical systems, Solar System and stellar systems, spaceflight dynamics) play a major role.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

"Celletti (Universita di Roma ‘Tor Vergata’) and Perozzi (Telespazio Rome) present a complicated subject in an engaging manner that is accessible to general readers. The writing is clear and authoritative, and the diagrams and tables help the nonexpert reader to visualize the key ideas without having to wade through the mathematics usually found in a book on this subject. … Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates." (T. Barker, CHOICE, Vol. 44 (11), August, 2007)

"The celestial mechanics can be considered as the mathematical part of the astronomy, requiring a high level in mathematics and reserved to specialists … . The Waltz of the Planets offer a different insight, providing very basic mathematical tools to the reader, sufficient to enable him or her to understand the main topics of celestial planetary dynamics. The purpose is to present this discipline as accessible, interesting and amusing … . A book to recommand to students, astronomers … and celestial mechanicians." (Anne Lemaître, Physicalia Magazine, Vol. 30 (1), 2008)

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (February 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038730777X
• ISBN-13: 978-0387307770
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Gravity

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick overview of recent developments, January 20, 2008

By 

A reader (Shrewsbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestial Mechanics: The Waltz of the Planets (Springer Praxis Books / Popular Astronomy) (Paperback)

Celestial mechanics studies the motion of bodies (stars, planets, satellites, etc.) under gravity. This book provides a quick overview of the subject, focusing especially on recent developments. The book presumes some knowledge of astronomy, but it's suitable for any amateur astronomer. (It contains virtually no math.) My primary objection to this book is that it doesn't explain many of the phenomena that it mentions. The book includes both a glossary that defines jargon and a guide to further information.

Contents:

Ch. 1: history of the subject; terminology regarding orbits
Ch. 2: chaotic orbits and the multi-body problem
Ch. 3: orbital resonances: their role in the motions of moons and asteroids, and their exploitation by interplanetary probes
Ch. 4: spin-orbit resonances: tidal forces; synchronous resonance; geosynchronous satellites; obliquity; precession and its exploitation in archaeoastronomy
Ch. 5: stability of the solar system; paths of comets, meteorites, and asteroids
Ch. 6: danger of asteroids colliding with the Earth
Ch. 7: motions of the moon; eclipses; the moon's role in the creation of life; novel trajectories to the moon
Ch. 8: spacecraft flight: "halo" orbits; space debris around Earth; interplanetary trajectories (Hohmann transfer orbits, gravity assists)
Ch. 9: planetary rings: their structure; the Roche limit; shepherd satellites
Ch. 10: newly discovered objects in the solar system (Centaurs, etc.)
Ch. 11: planets around other stars and the search for them (nulling interferometry)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Primer for Celestial Mechanics, January 6, 2010

By 

Michael Paul Sebek (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Celestial Mechanics: The Waltz of the Planets (Springer Praxis Books / Popular Astronomy) (Paperback)

I had always been curious about how and why things worked in our solar system. This book did a good job of answering my questions. As stated in the product description, only "elementary mathematics" are employed, but the instances of math usage are for illustrative purposes only, and are NOT essential for understanding the material presented. In fact - in my opinion - getting value from this book requires no practical application of mathematics on the part of the reader at all. However, I did find the text to be quite technical (as expected), and a basic understanding of astronomical terms and concepts is necessary in order to grasp the material. (Example glossary term: "Resonance: A commensurability among the periods of motion of two or more celestial bodies. The most common resonances are the mean motion resonances, which involve the revolution periods of different celestial bodies, and the spin-orbit resonances between the revolution and the rotation periods of the same celestial body.") I give it five stars for telling me what I wanted to know. This is not only a good beginner's book for someone who is interested in a further study of celestial mechanics, but it would also provide useful information for a beginning astronomer as well.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Celestial Mech: Waltz of the Planets, February 11, 2010

By 

G. Warren Coleman (north GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Celestial Mechanics: The Waltz of the Planets (Springer Praxis Books / Popular Astronomy) (Paperback)

This book on celestial mechanics is very thorough and a good value.
Though written by Italian astronomy colleagues it is in good
to excellent English. It has little mathematics except geometry and that was a disappointment to me. Good coverage of chaos theory as it applies to celestial mechanics. Primarily deals
with the Solar System.