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The Solar System
ICARUS 90, 184--185 (1991)
BOOK REVIEWS The Solar System. By Thrr~se Encrenaz, Jean-Pierre Bibring, and Michel Blanc. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1990. 352 pp., $59.50. The past 3 decades have witnessed a golden age of planetary exploration, in which mankind has progressed from remote telescopic observations of distant worlds to the direct exploration of all but one planet in our Solar System by fly-by missions, orbiters, atmospheric probes, and landers. The Solar System, by Thrr~se Encrenaz and Jean-Pierre Bibring, with the participation of Michel Blanc, attempts the ambitious task of summarizing the exploration of our Solar System which has occurred, and of preparing for the in-depth studies and characterization of planetary bodies to take place in the next decade by Mars Observer, Mars 94 Galileo, Cassini, and CRAF. This volume is an excellent translation (by S. Dunlop) of an updated version of the original French edition Astrophysique: Le Syst~me Solaire. This monograph adopts an approach of comparative planetology. The first four chapters discuss the Solar System as a whole. The first chapter is the obligatory overview and inventory of the Solar System, discussing orbital mechanics, basic physics (radiation and heat balance, atmospheric equilibrium), and variability of planetary objects. Chapter 2 describes the methods at our disposal for studying the Solar System, both ground-based and spacecraft measurements. This is followed in Chapter 3 by a discussion of Solar System formation, while Chapter 4 (contributed by Michel Blanc) describes the interaction between the interplanetary medium and Solar System bodies. The remainder of the book then discusses in greater depth the individual objects in the Solar System, but does so in a manner attempting to compare and interrelate these objects. Chapters are included on the inner planets and their satellites, asteroids, giant planets, atmosphereless bodies in the outer Solar System, satellites with atmospheres, comets, and finally interplanetary dust and meteorites. There are two appendixes giving details on mobility and conductivity of ionospheric plasmas, and local equations for the magnetic equilibrium of a magnetopause. Literature citations in the book are limited to a bibliography at the end which cites only other books, but not review articles or research papers. The preparation of a book covering this wide and rapidly developing field is obviously a formidable challenge. The authors have succeeded admirably in several areas. The discussions of planetary atmospheres are of uniformly high quality, as one would expect from these authors. The section on outer planet atmospheres is detailed and up-to-date. The discussion of chemical abundance and isotope ratios is an excellent example of the desire throughout the entire book to relate seemingly isolated details to their broader astrophysical significance. A second strength of the book is the section on interaction of planetary bodies with the interplanetary medium. This reviewer (who has only a passing acquaintance with this field) found the discussion to be well written and quite illuminating. The rest of the book is, unfortunately, rather uneven in quality and depth. While several sections are certainly quite adequate, other areas suffer from inattention or are outdated. For instance, the Pluto-Charon system is given only one page in the middle of the chapter on atmosphereless bodies. There is no discussion of the important results of the recent series of mutual events, nor any mention of the CH4 absorptions on Pluto. The discussion of cometary origin and dynamics mentions the classical Oort cloud, but does not discuss any of the recent theories on an inner Oort cloud or Kupier belt. The chapter on asteroids occupies only six pages.
I am somewhat puzzled as to the intended audience for this book. The active research professional is already familiar with the majority of the material. While the book may provide a good introduction to some areas unfamiliar to the reader, its value in other areas is mainly to attempt to put a lot of recent results into perspective. The book is really not set up as a textbook, as there are no questions and problems at the chapter ends. It would, perhaps, be useful as source material for those teaching planetary science courses. I would recommend the book to scientifically literate readers from other disciplines who want a (somewhat incomplete) summary of the results and significance of the past decades of planetary exploration. WILLIAM D. COCHRAN
McDonald Observatory The University o f Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78712
Planetary Mapping. Edited by Ronald Greeley and Raymond M. Batson. Cambridge University Press, London/New York, 1990. 296 pp., $70.00 (cloth). Mapping of other worlds may be the oldest form of remote sensing; serious cartography of the Moon dates from more than a century ago. Yet nearly all the maps of other planets are the result of the last 30 years of spacecraft exploration of the Solar System. The mapping of other planets has had much the same role in exploring space as mapping has had in exploration of the Earth: reporting new phenomena, helping scientific study, planning new exploration, and even generating political propaganda. Yet the methods, and of course the results, are greatly different from the terrestrial ones. This volume, the sixth in the Cambridge Planetary Science Series, seeks to give a perspective on planetary mapping for researchers and students in planetary science as well as for others interested in cartography in general. One of the strengths of this book is that it is written by those who have worked on every facet of planetary maps (Raymond M. Batson, Merton E. Davies, Frederick J. Doyle, Ronald Greeley, Jay L. Inge, Harold Masursky, Mary Emma Strobell, Ewen A. Whitaker, Don E. Wilhelms, and Sherman S. C. Wu). The six sections of the book cover the history of planetary cartography, cartographic principles, planetary nomenclature, geodetic control, topographic mapping, and geologic mapping. Appendices describe the halftone process in making maps and list the formats and projections used in planetary maps. The individual presentations are generally clear and well edited; only a few factual errors were apparent to this reviewer. The topical coverage is indeed broad, ranging from discussion of projection principles to the interpretations involved in geologic photomapping and from spacecraft designs to nomenclature disputes. The authors are the experts on the subjects. and in most parts of the book specific examples of the principles under discussion are well chosen. As with nearly any volume of separate sections by different authors, the major strengths and weaknesses relate to the distinctions and repetitions among chapters. The history of planetary cartography section appeals to this reviewer, because it includes an excellent recapitulation of the circumstances of many of the spacecraft missions that returned planetary data and because it affords a good view of the environment of 184
0019-1035/91 $3.00 Copyright © 1991 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
BOOK REVIEWS The Solar System. By Thrr~se Encrenaz, Jean-Pierre Bibring, and Michel Blanc. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1990. 352 pp., $59.50. The past 3 decades have witnessed a golden age of planetary exploration, in which mankind has progressed from remote telescopic observations of distant worlds to the direct exploration of all but one planet in our Solar System by fly-by missions, orbiters, atmospheric probes, and landers. The Solar System, by Thrr~se Encrenaz and Jean-Pierre Bibring, with the participation of Michel Blanc, attempts the ambitious task of summarizing the exploration of our Solar System which has occurred, and of preparing for the in-depth studies and characterization of planetary bodies to take place in the next decade by Mars Observer, Mars 94 Galileo, Cassini, and CRAF. This volume is an excellent translation (by S. Dunlop) of an updated version of the original French edition Astrophysique: Le Syst~me Solaire. This monograph adopts an approach of comparative planetology. The first four chapters discuss the Solar System as a whole. The first chapter is the obligatory overview and inventory of the Solar System, discussing orbital mechanics, basic physics (radiation and heat balance, atmospheric equilibrium), and variability of planetary objects. Chapter 2 describes the methods at our disposal for studying the Solar System, both ground-based and spacecraft measurements. This is followed in Chapter 3 by a discussion of Solar System formation, while Chapter 4 (contributed by Michel Blanc) describes the interaction between the interplanetary medium and Solar System bodies. The remainder of the book then discusses in greater depth the individual objects in the Solar System, but does so in a manner attempting to compare and interrelate these objects. Chapters are included on the inner planets and their satellites, asteroids, giant planets, atmosphereless bodies in the outer Solar System, satellites with atmospheres, comets, and finally interplanetary dust and meteorites. There are two appendixes giving details on mobility and conductivity of ionospheric plasmas, and local equations for the magnetic equilibrium of a magnetopause. Literature citations in the book are limited to a bibliography at the end which cites only other books, but not review articles or research papers. The preparation of a book covering this wide and rapidly developing field is obviously a formidable challenge. The authors have succeeded admirably in several areas. The discussions of planetary atmospheres are of uniformly high quality, as one would expect from these authors. The section on outer planet atmospheres is detailed and up-to-date. The discussion of chemical abundance and isotope ratios is an excellent example of the desire throughout the entire book to relate seemingly isolated details to their broader astrophysical significance. A second strength of the book is the section on interaction of planetary bodies with the interplanetary medium. This reviewer (who has only a passing acquaintance with this field) found the discussion to be well written and quite illuminating. The rest of the book is, unfortunately, rather uneven in quality and depth. While several sections are certainly quite adequate, other areas suffer from inattention or are outdated. For instance, the Pluto-Charon system is given only one page in the middle of the chapter on atmosphereless bodies. There is no discussion of the important results of the recent series of mutual events, nor any mention of the CH4 absorptions on Pluto. The discussion of cometary origin and dynamics mentions the classical Oort cloud, but does not discuss any of the recent theories on an inner Oort cloud or Kupier belt. The chapter on asteroids occupies only six pages.
I am somewhat puzzled as to the intended audience for this book. The active research professional is already familiar with the majority of the material. While the book may provide a good introduction to some areas unfamiliar to the reader, its value in other areas is mainly to attempt to put a lot of recent results into perspective. The book is really not set up as a textbook, as there are no questions and problems at the chapter ends. It would, perhaps, be useful as source material for those teaching planetary science courses. I would recommend the book to scientifically literate readers from other disciplines who want a (somewhat incomplete) summary of the results and significance of the past decades of planetary exploration. WILLIAM D. COCHRAN
McDonald Observatory The University o f Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78712
Planetary Mapping. Edited by Ronald Greeley and Raymond M. Batson. Cambridge University Press, London/New York, 1990. 296 pp., $70.00 (cloth). Mapping of other worlds may be the oldest form of remote sensing; serious cartography of the Moon dates from more than a century ago. Yet nearly all the maps of other planets are the result of the last 30 years of spacecraft exploration of the Solar System. The mapping of other planets has had much the same role in exploring space as mapping has had in exploration of the Earth: reporting new phenomena, helping scientific study, planning new exploration, and even generating political propaganda. Yet the methods, and of course the results, are greatly different from the terrestrial ones. This volume, the sixth in the Cambridge Planetary Science Series, seeks to give a perspective on planetary mapping for researchers and students in planetary science as well as for others interested in cartography in general. One of the strengths of this book is that it is written by those who have worked on every facet of planetary maps (Raymond M. Batson, Merton E. Davies, Frederick J. Doyle, Ronald Greeley, Jay L. Inge, Harold Masursky, Mary Emma Strobell, Ewen A. Whitaker, Don E. Wilhelms, and Sherman S. C. Wu). The six sections of the book cover the history of planetary cartography, cartographic principles, planetary nomenclature, geodetic control, topographic mapping, and geologic mapping. Appendices describe the halftone process in making maps and list the formats and projections used in planetary maps. The individual presentations are generally clear and well edited; only a few factual errors were apparent to this reviewer. The topical coverage is indeed broad, ranging from discussion of projection principles to the interpretations involved in geologic photomapping and from spacecraft designs to nomenclature disputes. The authors are the experts on the subjects. and in most parts of the book specific examples of the principles under discussion are well chosen. As with nearly any volume of separate sections by different authors, the major strengths and weaknesses relate to the distinctions and repetitions among chapters. The history of planetary cartography section appeals to this reviewer, because it includes an excellent recapitulation of the circumstances of many of the spacecraft missions that returned planetary data and because it affords a good view of the environment of 184
0019-1035/91 $3.00 Copyright © 1991 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.