Destiny or Chance
Our Solar System and its Place in the Cosmos
$66.99 (G)
- Author: Stuart Ross Taylor, Australian National University, Canberra
- Date Published: December 2000
- availability: Out of stock in print form with no current plan to reprint
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521785211
$
66.99
(G)
Paperback
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Written by a leading planetary scientist, this engaging book tells the remarkable story of how our solar system came into existence and provides an expert tour of the Earth, its planetary neighbors and other planetary systems. In a whirlwind adventure, we explore how the formation of mighty Jupiter dominated the solar system, why Mars is so small, where comets come from, how rings form around planets, why asteroids exist and why Pluto isn't a planet at all. En route, we discover the role of chance events in shaping the course of the history of our solar system. Dramatic collisions, for example, caused the tilts and spins of the planets, the extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of man. Finally, we look at how suitable Earth is for harboring life, what other planetary systems look like and whether we are alone in the cosmos. For all those interested in understanding our solar system and its place in the cosmos, this is a lucid and compelling read. Stuart Taylor is the recipient of numerous academic awards, including the Norman L. Bowen Award from the American Geophysical Union for his important contributions to our understanding of the origins and early history of the Earth and Moon. In 1997, Asteroid 5670 was named Rosstaylor in his honor. He is the author of Solar System Evolution (Cambridge, 1992).
Read more- Authoritative and up to date, including the discovery of new planets and potential life on Mars
- Many books describe the inventory of the solar system; this book is unique because it explains why the solar system looks the way it does and how it came to be
- Presents a new synthesis that emphasises the role of chance events in the formation and evolution of our solar system
- Written by one of the leading planetary scientists. Newly discovered Asteroid 5670 named Rosstaylor in honour of author in 1997
Reviews & endorsements
"Professor Stuart Taylor of the Australian National University is a planetary scientist well qualified to write on this subject, and he has produced a clear account of the complex occurrences over the past 4 to 5 billion years that have led to the formation of the Earth, Moon and planets...an easily readable account of the formation of the Solar System." Nature
See more reviews"This is a book that should be read by anyone who wants to be a scientist, is a scientist, or is interested in science." Geological Magazine
"...a wonderful book....This is not just another descriptive book about the solar system, but a book that explores the implications fo that description....[It] can be profitably be read ... by anyone from motivated high school students to professional scientists." /s Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin
"Destiny or Chance offers a friendly, informative read on the origins of our solar system, and is sure to satisfy and delight even the most inquisitive readers." Yale Scientific Magazine
" This is just a wonderful book. This is not just another descriptive book about the solar system, but a book that explores the implications of that description." Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin
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×Product details
- Date Published: December 2000
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521785211
- length: 248 pages
- dimensions: 227 x 153 x 15 mm
- weight: 0.415kg
- contains: 40 b/w illus.
- availability: Out of stock in print form with no current plan to reprint
Table of Contents
1. Setting the stage
2. The giants
3. Escapees and survivors
4. The twins
5. Two special cases
6. Causes and effects
Appendix.
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