Planetary Ring Systems (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) [Paperback]

Ellis D. Miner (Author), Randii R. Wessen (Author), Jeffrey N. Cuzzi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387341773 | ISBN-13: 978-0387341774 | Publication Date: February 6, 2010 | Edition: 1

This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on the topic of planetary rings systems yet written. The book is written in a style and at a language level easily accessible to the interested non-expert. The authors cover the scientific significance of ring studies, the history of their discovery and characterization, the observations of Pioneer 10 at Jupiter, Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 at Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 2 at all four giant planets of the solar system, and Galileo at Jupiter. Each chapter includes extensive notes, references, figures and tables. A bibliography is included at the end of each chapter.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Aus den Rezensionen: "… schon am Anfang versprechen die Autoren übersetzt: ‘Schnallen sie sich an und gehen sie mit uns auf eine faszinierende Reise ins Reich der Planetenringe‘. Um es vorwegzunehmen, es ist ihnen durchaus gelungen. … Einen Schwerpunkt setzt das Buch auf das Ringsystem von Saturn … Dabei fesseln zahlreiche farbige hochaufgelöste Bilder von CASSINI den Leser. … Dieses Buch ist eine Einführung in die Welt der planetaren Ringsysteme und man fühlt die Hingabe und Liebe der Autoren, dieses Thema dem Leser näher zu bringen." (RALF SRAMA, in: Sterne und Weltraum, 2007, Issue 11, S. 104)

About the Author

Of all the planets, Saturn is the most instantly recognisable to everyone because of its beautiful system of rings, visible in even a small telescope, discovered by Galileo in 1610, but not recognised for what they are until Christiaan Huygens’ observations in 1655. Until 1977, Saturn’s rings were considered unique, but we now know that all four gas giants, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are surrounded by ring systems. However, it is true that the rings of Saturn remain in a class of their own. James Clerk Maxwell’s fascination with the rings of Saturn was made clear in his 1857 Adams Prize essay. After quoting parts of Maxwell’s essay in their recent Scientific American article on rings ["Bejewelled Worlds", special edition entitled New Light on the Solar System, V. 13, No. 3, pp. 74-83, 2003], Burns, Hamilton and Showalter stated, "A century and a half later Saturn’s rings remain a symbol of all that is exotic and wondrous about the universe". Ellis Miner and Randii Wessen co-authored the successful Springer-Praxis book, Neptune: the planet, rings and satellites, published in December 2001 which has sold 1076 copies worldwide to date.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Praxis; 1 edition (February 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387341773
• ISBN-13: 978-0387341774
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy & Space Science > Comets, Meteors & Asteroids

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planetary Ring Systems, January 22, 2007

By 

Dr. Ellis D. Miner "lead author" (Lake View Terrace, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Planetary Ring Systems (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) (Paperback)

You probably don't want my review included, although I think the book is excellent, primarily because I am its lead author.