This book presents a global and synthetic vision of planetology – the study of objects in the Solar System. In the past several decades, planetology has undergone a real revolution, marked in particular by the discovery of the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune, the discovery of extrasolar planets, and also by the space exploration of ever more distant objects. Today, it is at the crossroads of many disciplines: astronomy, geophysics, geochemistry and biology.
The Solar System 1 deals with the Solar System as a whole, offering a general presentation of the objects that compose it and its place in the galaxy. It also deals with planetary systems, exoplanets and the interaction of Solar System objects with interplanetary medium. Finally, it analyzes the telluric and giant planets.
1. General Presentation of the Solar System, Thérèse Encrenaz, Françoise Roques and Laurent Lamy.
2. Solar and Planetary Systems, James Lequeux.
3. The Interaction of Solar System Bodies with the Interplanetary Medium, Laurent Lamy.
4. Telluric Planets, Thérèse Encrenaz, Marcello Fulchignoni and Laurent Lamy.
5. Giant Planets, Thérèse Encrenaz and Laurent Lamy.
Thérèse Encrenaz is an astronomer emeritus at CNRS and the Paris Observatory, France, specializing in planetary atmospheres. She has directed the Observatory’s Space Research Department.
James Lequeux is an honorary astronomer at the Paris Observatory, France. He has directed the Nançay Radio Observatory and the Marseille Observatory; he was also editor-in-chief of the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.