How to Read the Solar System: A Guide to the Stars and Planets

North and Abel, hosts of the BBC’s popular astronomy TV series, The Sky at Night, step into print with this highly accessible introduction to basic astronomy. The authors open with a romp through the history of the field, from the earliest recorded celestial observations, made in Bronze Age China, through the discoveries of the ancient Greeks, to the work of Renaissance scientists such as Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo. The sun and planets of our solar system each receive individual attention (though Uranus and Neptune share a chapter), and subsequent sections offer brief introductions to asteroids, the Kuiper Belt, comets, and the ongoing search for exoplanets. The authors comprehensively cover all the basics, making this book a great primer for readers who are just getting started in their reading on the subject, and it includes a foreword by astronomer (and Queen guitarist) Dr. Brian May. Like The Sky at Night, this chatty, non-technical discussion is perfect for the armchair or budding astronomer who wants a bit of background and history spread widely across the field. [em](Jan.) [/em]