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geekyjack's Reviews (283)
"We may have the impression that the solar system is constant and perfectly regular like a clock. On a short timescale it is. But, seen in a longer perspective, the planets, and their satellites, have had exciting lives, full of drama," The Secret Lives of Planets by Paul Murdin.
'The Secret Lives of Planets' is the first non-fiction book I have read from start to finish. And I loved it. But then, I do absolutely love space. I find it impossible not to stare into the stars on a clear night, trying to locate the planets in the darkness and look into the craters of the moon. So for a space lover, this book was a great introduction to our incredible Solar System.
It's written in a very simple and engaging way, keeping you entertained without bombarding you with super complex science, although, of course, there is a lot of science discussed, it's very much dumbed down and explained in layman's terms.
Each chapter takes a different planet, dwarf planet or moon and tells their stories. From their creation, their changing orbits around the sun, the composition of their atmospheres and cores and whether they could potentially harbour life, to their discovery by humans and our exploration of every single one of them with fly-bys, orbiters or landers.
Murdin also goes into details about the astronomers, mathematicians and others that discovered the planets or their moons. The ones that theorised about them and the scientists that helped send manmade machines hundreds of millions of miles away to explore, eventually reaching Interstellar Space.
If you're a space nerd and want to learn more about out incredible Solar System, I can't recommend this book highly enough. I loved it!
'The Secret Lives of Planets' is the first non-fiction book I have read from start to finish. And I loved it. But then, I do absolutely love space. I find it impossible not to stare into the stars on a clear night, trying to locate the planets in the darkness and look into the craters of the moon. So for a space lover, this book was a great introduction to our incredible Solar System.
It's written in a very simple and engaging way, keeping you entertained without bombarding you with super complex science, although, of course, there is a lot of science discussed, it's very much dumbed down and explained in layman's terms.
Each chapter takes a different planet, dwarf planet or moon and tells their stories. From their creation, their changing orbits around the sun, the composition of their atmospheres and cores and whether they could potentially harbour life, to their discovery by humans and our exploration of every single one of them with fly-bys, orbiters or landers.
Murdin also goes into details about the astronomers, mathematicians and others that discovered the planets or their moons. The ones that theorised about them and the scientists that helped send manmade machines hundreds of millions of miles away to explore, eventually reaching Interstellar Space.
If you're a space nerd and want to learn more about out incredible Solar System, I can't recommend this book highly enough. I loved it!
