The Solar System
As recently as the dawn of the Space Age, the solar system was still largely unknown. The first probes to the Moon, Venus and Mars ushered in a golden age of planetary science, transforming planets from distant mysteries into vividly realised worlds. This book provides a comprehensive, accessible survey of the entire solar system, covering all major planets from Mercury to Saturn, the outer solar system and asteroids. It includes insights from leading scientists through in-person interviews, offering an engaging overview for general readers and amateur astronomers. Noting Earth’s small, beautiful and precarious nature, this book fills a unique niche, presenting the latest discoveries without losing sight of the broader picture, making it essential for anyone interested in our celestial neighbourhood.
William Sheehan is a noted historian of astronomy, writer and retired psychiatrist. His books include Mercury (2018), Saturn (2019) and Venus (2022) in Reaktion’s Kosmos series. He lives in Arizona, and asteroid 16037 is named Sheehan in his honour.
Clifford J. Cunningham is a Research Fellow at the University of Southern Queensland and Associate Editor of the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. His books include Asteroids (2021) in Reaktion’s Kosmos series. Asteroid 4276 (Clifford) is named in his honour.
More books by author
More in this series
