Asteroids Books

As the title indicates, the Elkins-Tanton monograph is an introductory text on asteroids, comets and meteorites. The text also includes discussions of moons, planetary impacts and space mission to investigate comets and asteroids. The seven chapters and three appendices are illuminated with detailed gray-scale graphics and diagrams as well as high-resolution black and white photos of moons, comets and other celestial bodies. These are augmented by eight pages of good quality color images in the center of the book. Scientific and astronomical facts and data are presented in clearly readable tabular format throughout the text. While some mathematical concepts and formulas are presented in context, this book is not a text on celestial mechanics. The text incorporates a number of valuable features including an extensive index, bibliography, glossary, a list of Internet resources and astronomical societies.

As a course text, this book would be appropriate for 6th grade through high school and could be used as a supplementary text for undergraduate university courses. While advanced mathematics are not required to understand the content, the reader's comprehension will be enhanced with a basic knowledge of algebra. Replete with interesting facts and data, the book is easy to read not requiring background knowledge of astronomy or physics. The lack of advanced organizers and end-of-chapters activities or resources diminishes the functionality of this book as a primary course text.

Whilst Leverington confines himself to the exposition of planetary astronomy, this book is really the history of most of astronomy. After all, it was only within the last hundred years or so that astronomers had the ability to seriously look and understand further distances.

The historical unfolding given here since Babylonian times encompasses a gradual increase in understanding of our solar system. The gain in knowledge is glacial. Measured in centuries and millennia. But with the rise of the European astronomers, and thence of Newton's equations of motion, it was possible to systematically understand planetary orbits. And to deductively look for unknown planets. A successful search that culminated in the discovery of Pluto, and was probably a high water mark of Newtonian mechanics.

The book ends with NASA's outstanding Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts, that performed a grand tour of the outer solar system in the 70s and 80s. Perhaps, when you consider that this book was written in 2003, the author might have devoted more space to the subsequent missions. Still, he furnishes a good synopsis.

This is a great book - My copy is soft cover - it would be better if I had purchased a hard copy verison if it was available - It is still a great book!

"Doomsday Asteroid" presents an interesting perspective on the problems surrounding Earth's defense against cosmic impact.

Part of the defense that Cox and Chester expound upon is a space-based telescope, orbiting the Sun ahead of the Earth, that can provide early warning of an impending collision.

If nothing else, "Doomsday Rock" should be read because of the stirring prologue from Arthur C. Clarke's 1973 novel "Rendezvous With Rama". In addition to providing the impetus for the now-famous Rama saga, the prologue also lends it's name to the Spaceguard Survey that NASA undertook in 1992.

What detracts from the book is the lack of attention to smaller rocks that threaten the Earth. Although much less likely to cause global destruction, asteroids as small as 100 meters can cause vast devastation in urbanized regions and, in the case of a sea strike, coastal areas.

Despite that flaw, "Doomsday Asteroid" is a solid, informative read.

This is an exciting time in astronomy, for now we can detect exoplanets by several means. What was once pure speculation in science fiction is now an observational field, young and growing. The book describes detection methods, especially Doppler exoplanet surveying. Currently the major tool of discovery. As Jian Ge says in one chapter, of 200+ exoplanets found thus far, around 90% were by this method.

But don't forget gravitational microlensing. A fundamentally different approach that has also yielded exoplanets. More interestingly, it is more sensitive to low mass planets and planets orbiting a star at 1.5-4 AU. It strictly uses gravitational effects, and does not need to find light from the planet or its star.

A former classmate of mine, Steinn Sigurdsson, has a chapter on looking for planets in stars that have left the main sequence [ie. burned up most of their fuel]. Another interesting approach; though perhaps more speculative than Dopplering or microlensing.

I was a bad physics student in High School. I could see that there was something important being said there, but it was just so boring. That's why I received this book (as a gift) with little hope. I was hooked on from chapter one. The breadth of knowlege and the ease of exposure, combine to make a jewel of scientific reading. And I plan to make my kids read it in High School.

Professional look into the treat from cosmos

This is a scientific book addressed to professionals, although the main ideas will be of interest to the general audience. The potential threat of a global catastrophe caused by a large asteroid or comet impact has been the centre of public attention for quite some time. It generated many discussions mainly in the popular literature and in various sites on the Internet. While very illuminating, these discussions are not sufficient for somebody who, like myself, would be interested in undertaking research in this area. The reviewed book fills this gap by providing the up-to-date and in-depth account of the problem and possible methods of solution. I believe the book establishes the foundation of a new branch of science associated with the problem of cosmic defence.

Being an expert in the area of Fracture Mechanics, I am naturally interested in developing mechanically sound methods of deflection and destruction of the Near Earth Objects (NEO) on the collision course with Earth. The reviewed book thus proves to be an invaluable source of information in this respect. It covers the whole range of aspects related to the problem from the types and probabilities of threat to possible defence methods. From my prospective, the most important are two aspects: (a) the identification of different types of cosmic threat (from large solid bodies to the not least dangerous clouds of small objects) and; (b) the possible types of internal structure and composition of the NEOs. All these as well as other aspects (the NEO detection, methods of the NEO defence, the environmental consequences) are covered in great depth.

I would strongly recommend this book everyone starting a research in the area.

There are introductory sections that explore the Solar System zone by zone, using 'thumbnail' images and clear text to address profound issues such as the lasting impact of the Copernican Revolution. The main parts of the book are set out in two-page spreads, each with a large image facing related text. This attractive layout makes it easy to dip in, to take the stunning images one at a time. Some of the objects are familiar, such as the now much-imaged rings of Saturn, and some are not, like the crazy pathways of Cruithne or the model of the Oort cloud. Each spread has a helpful graphic, a schematic representation of the Solar System that helps the reader to know where they are, and the text is divided into three sections. One of these provides concise and straightforward factual information about the feautured object, and another does the same job for the source of the image. The main texts are full of stimulating insights, thoughtful personal comments, and unexpected takes. The theme running through is of the impact of remote objects on human awareness and human life. This is no mere catalogue of the diversity of Solar System bodies, but a book that puts humanity into the science.

Isaac Asimov, one of the principal forces behind modern science fiction, wrote this book under a pseudonym (Paul French). He eventually tired of the pseudonym and in later books put in clues that should have led most readers to figure out who the actual author was.

In this book, the second in the Lucky Starr series, Lucky journeys to the asteroid belt to fight the pirates that may have killed his parents. Lucky appears to join the pirates as a trick to get them to reveal where the pirate base is hidden, but he does so without the knowledge of most of those who know him, so he appears to be a traitor. Can Lucky defeat the pirates! Will he survive to clear his name! Only you, the reader, will ever know!

Isaac Asimov originally wrote the Lucky Starr books in the 1950s. By the time the books were reissued, our knowledge of our solar system had changed dramatically. While many of Asimov's descriptions of other planets in the solar system have been invalidated by flybys from various space craft, as Asimov explains in a forward to the revised books, the explanations about the asteroids generally survive.

Look for this book also collected in a single volume with "David Starr, Space Ranger," and "Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus." That book is titled "The Adventures of Lucky Starr." This book is also collected in "The Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr." Other collections may exist.

The Lucky Starr books are a casual read and perfect for readers who enjoyed the Tom Corbett, Space Cadet series of books and Heinlein's juvenile books. There is a lot of logic in each of the books, and just enough hard science fiction to tantalize a reader and hopefully cause the reader to learn more. These books do have a flavor of Asimov's other books, but are less sophisticated. I enjoy these books, but some other readers may find them too mundane. I recommend these books carefully, because I do not know which category of reader you may be. Good luck!

Even though this book is a bit dated, since it was written in 1987 before the recent Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor missions were even dreamed of, it does contain a lot of interesting information and photographs about the Planet Mars and the Viking Project. If readers are looking for more recent material about the planet Mars, Seymour Simon, has written a new book in 2000 titled Destination Mars. It's basically an updated version of the current book. Finally, while this book is geared towards children, I feel that many adults will find the text and the photographs quite interesting.