قراءات إضافية
There is a rich literature associated with astronomy and
planetary science. The trouble is that, the longer or more specialized the book, the
faster it goes out of date. On the other hand, some (not all!) websites are
frequently updated. To help you discover more about planets, I suggest a few of the
best books and several appropriate entry points to the
internet.
(١) العام
J. K. Beatty, C. C. Peterson, and A. Chaikin (eds.),
The New Solar System, 4th edn. (Sky
Publishing Corporation and Cambridge University Press, 1999). This covers the
lot. Each chapter is written by a specialist author. Badly dated in parts, but
it remains a highly accessible classic.
I. Gilmour and M. A. Sephton (eds.), An Introduction to Astrobiology (Cambridge
University Press, 2003). Updated in 2007, this is the second of two volumes
based around an Open University course on planetary science, written at early
undergraduate level. This one covers life, Mars, Europa, and Titan as potential
habitats, and exoplanets. New edition expected 2011.
N. McBride and I. Gilmour (eds.), An Introduction to the Solar System (Cambridge University Press,
2003). Updated in 2007, this is the first of two volumes based around an Open
University course on planetary science, written at early undergraduate level. It
covers all the major components of the Solar System, except the Sun. New edition
expected 2011.
S. A. Stern (ed.), Our Worlds:
The Magnetism and Thrill of Planetary Exploration (Cambridge
University Press, 1999). Easy but informative reading. Each chapter is a
personal account by one of the leading practitioners.
D. A. Weintraub, Is Pluto a
Planet? (Princeton University Press, 2007). If you’ve read this
far, then you already know the answer to the question posed by this book’s
title. However, it covers much more than that, being an historical account of
human perception of planets from ancient times right up to the recent squabbles
over the classification of TNOs.
(٢) الكواكب الأرضية
M. Hanlon, The Real
Mars (Constable, 2004). A science writer’s perspective on Mars,
simply written and beautifully illustrated.
J. S. Kargel, Mars: A Warmer
Wetter Planet (Springer Praxis, 2004). One leading scientist’s
personal view of the role of hidden water on Mars.
R. M. C. Lopes and T. K. P. Gregg (eds.), Volcanic Worlds: Exploring the Solar System’s
Volcanoes (Springer Praxis, 2004). A popular account, with
chapters by specialist authors dealing with volcanism on each terrestrial
planet, the Moon, Io, and icy satellites.
R. G. Strom and A. L. Sprague, Exploring Mercury (Springer Praxis, 2003). This is the best
review of Mercury that I know, but written before MESSENGER began to study the
planet.
(٣) الكويكبات
J. Bell and J. Mitton (eds.), Asteroid Rendezvous: NEAR Shoemaker’s Adventures at Eros
(Cambridge University Press, 2002). A well-illustrated and popular account of
the findings of the first probe to orbit and then crash onto an
asteroid.
(٤) الكواكب العملاقة
F. Bagenal, T. Dowling, and W. McKinnon (eds.), Jupiter: The Planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere
(Cambridge University Press, 2004). A fat volume with 26 chapters written by
specialist authors. Will take you much further than the current
book.
E. D. Miner and R. R. Wessen, Neptune: The Planet, Rings and Satellites (Springer Praxis,
2002). A much slimmer and more simply written volume. Unlikely to date
badly.
(٥) الأقمار
R. Greenberg, Unmasking
Europa (Springer, 2007). A clear and authoritative account of
Europa, including some scathing passages about how Greenberg’s research team had
to struggle against the establishment to gain acceptance for their thin ice
interpretation.
R. Lorenz and J. Mitton, Titan
Unveiled (Princeton University Press, 2008). The first author is
a key member of the Cassini-Huygens team that
explored Titan, so this is an insightful account. However, it was written before
Titan’s lakes were fully recognized.
D. A. Rothery, Satellites of the
Outer Planets, 2nd edn. (Oxford Unversity Press, 1999). Written
by myself, this is an account of large satellites from Jupiter to Neptune at a
level that should suit if the current book has left you wanting more. It
includes some Galileo findings, but pre-dates the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn so is out of date in
parts.
(٦) الكواكب الواقعة خارج المجموعة الشمسية
H. Klahr and W. Brander (eds.), Planet Formation (Cambridge University Press, 2006). More
technical than most others in this list, this volume is based on papers
presented at a conference in 2004. It looks at planet formation in the light of
modern theories for our Solar System and discoveries of exoplanet
systems.
F. Casoli and T. Encrenaz, The
New Worlds: Extrasolar Planets (Springer Praxis, 2007). The most
up-to-date popular account of exoplanets that I could
find.
(٧) مواقع ويب
The following websites were accessed 4 July
2010.
(٧-١) عام
(www.nasa.gov): NASA’s
home page. Click on the links here for news about missions or individual
Solar System bodies.
(٧-٢) الصور
(pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/): NASA’s
‘Welcome to the Planets’ site, offering a simple introduction to each body
and a small selection of images.
(photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/): A fuller
archive of NASA images of Solar System bodies.
(http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmghome.pl):
Multimedia gallery provided by the
European Space Agency.
(http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/index.shtml):
Japan’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), with links to
images and movies from Japanese missions.
(arc.iki.rssi.ru/eng/index.htm): The
Russian Space Research Institute (IKI). Follow the link to Planetary
Exploration for access to images and information from Russian (and former
Soviet) missions.
(hubblesite.org/gallery/): Gallery of
images from the Hubble Space Telescope, searchable by name of
planet.
(٧-٣) التسميات والخرائط
(http://www.mapaplanet.org/): A site
where you can create your own maps of whatever region of a planet you
choose, operated by the United States Geological Survey, Astrogeology
Research Program.
(planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/): A
gazetteer of nomenclature on planets, satellites, and asteroids. Hosted by
the United States Geological Survey, Astrogeology Research Program on behalf
of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Contains all you need to know
about naming conventions, and up-to-date searchable lists of names of all
kinds of features on each body.
(٧-٤) الأخبار والبيانات
(http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/): Has
links for each planet and other classes of body, taking you to fact sheets
and much more.
(http://www.minorplanetcenter.org/iau/mpc.html):
Website of the IAU Minor Planet Center (at the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory). Especially good information on near-Earth
objects.
(www.boulder.swri.edu/ekonews/):
Electronic newsletter about the Kuiper belt, plus various useful
links.
(www.exoplanet.eu): The Extrasolar
Planets Encyclopedia. Includes a frequently updated catalogue tracking the
current tally of known objects, and also tutorials on the various methods of
detecting exoplanets.
(http://www.planetary.org/home/): The
Planetary Society. An international (US-based) society promoting planetary
exploration. A good source of relevant news and
comment.